The Building a Bridge Team works to encourage a welcoming, inclusive, and loving environment at Bellarmine Chapel for people who are LGBTQ+, as well as empower those who wish to support these individuals. We seek to “build a bridge” between the LGBTQ+ community and the Catholic Church
“The movement for Jesus was always from the outside in. His message was always one of inclusion, communicated through speaking to people, healing them, and offering them what biblical scholars call ‘table fellowship,’ that is, dining with them, a sign of welcome and acceptance in first-century Palestine. In fact, Jesus was often criticized for this practice. But Jesus’s movement was about inclusion. He was creating a sense of ‘us.'” – James Martin, SJ in Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity
Our faith recognizes the most fundamental teaching about the LGBTQ+ community: God loves them. We are all beloved children of God, regardless of identity or orientation.
As Father James Martin shares above, Jesus’ ministry continually reached out to the excluded and marginalized. Today, many LGBTQ+ Catholics experience exclusion and marginalization from the Church. The Building a Bridge Team fosters radical hospitality and inclusivity at Bellarmine Chapel.
The Building a Bridge Team engages in education, reflection, and advocacy around the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and the Church. Our group engages in a monthly book club, organizes events, and generates resources to share with the rest of the Bellarmine parish community. You can watch a video reflection from Team Chair Katherine Inskeep and a welcome video from the Team below.
Check out our Building a Bridge Resources to explore the relationship between the Church and the LGBTQ+ community, including various books, articles, church statements, and more.