Organisers hail success of Gay Mass
-9/11/04
There was ‘standing room only’ for Londo
Organisers hail success of Gay Mass
-9/11/04
There was ‘standing room only’ for London’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholics at their most recent Mass in Soho, which took place on Sunday.
The Mass made special remembrance of David (Sinders) Morley, the former Soho bar-manager murdered just two weeks before and for whom a Memorial Book has been opened at St. Anne’s Church, Soho, where the Mass took place.
There was also a commemoration of Fannyann Eddy, the Sierra Leonian lesbian human rights activist, also brutally murdered in Freetown at the end of September.
The readings included Dylan Thomas’ powerful poem, ‘And death shall have no dominion’.
The results of a questionnaire distributed at the mass suggest that St. Anne’s Catholic Masses are proving both popular and helpful to many Gay Catholics.
For some, organisers say, the Mass is the only contact they have with the Catholic Church. Others however are energised to continue involving themselves in other local parish or community activities with close to half of attendees saying they are involved in another Catholic community.
Nine out of ten people attending the Mass identify themselves as Catholic and the age range which, say organisers, would be a credit to any ordinary Catholic parish.
Almost half of attendees are under 45 years of age and over 10% are in the 18-30 age group – fairly high compared with most Catholic congregations.
A report has been sent to Bishop Bernard Longley, Chair of the Westminster Archdiocese Pastoral Board, Edmund Adamus, Director of Pastoral Affairs, and the Rev. Jim Kennedy, Parish Priest of Blessed Sacrament Church, Copenhagen Street, near King’s Cross, who is a reference point for lesbian and gay ministry within the Archdiocese.
Organisers hail success of Gay Mass
-9/11/04
There was ‘standing room only’ for London’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholics at their most recent Mass in Soho, which took place on Sunday.
The Mass made special remembrance of David (Sinders) Morley, the former Soho bar-manager murdered just two weeks before and for whom a Memorial Book has been opened at St. Anne’s Church, Soho, where the Mass took place.
There was also a commemoration of Fannyann Eddy, the Sierra Leonian lesbian human rights activist, also brutally murdered in Freetown at the end of September.
The readings included Dylan Thomas’ powerful poem, ‘And death shall have no dominion’.
The results of a questionnaire distributed at the mass suggest that St. Anne’s Catholic Masses are proving both popular and helpful to many Gay Catholics.
For some, organisers say, the Mass is the only contact they have with the Catholic Church. Others however are energised to continue involving themselves in other local parish or community activities with close to half of attendees saying they are involved in another Catholic community.
Nine out of ten people attending the Mass identify themselves as Catholic and the age range which, say organisers, would be a credit to any ordinary Catholic parish.
Almost half of attendees are under 45 years of age and over 10% are in the 18-30 age group – fairly high compared with most Catholic congregations.
A report has been sent to Bishop Bernard Longley, Chair of the Westminster Archdiocese Pastoral Board, Edmund Adamus, Director of Pastoral Affairs, and the Rev. Jim Kennedy, Parish Priest of Blessed Sacrament Church, Copenhagen Street, near King’s Cross, who is a reference point for lesbian and gay ministry within the Archdiocese.