A group of LGBTQ Catholics from around the world gathered for a dialogue hosted by Outreach, entitled “Listening to the experiences of LGBTQ Catholics,” on Sept. 5, 2025. The event, held at the headquarters of the Society of Jesus in Rome, took place during the LGBTQ Catholic Jubilee Year events organized by La Tenda di Gionata, an Italian LGBTQ Catholic organization.
James Martin, S.J., opened the event with a prayer and Michael O’Loughlin, Outreach’s executive director, moderated the panel, which was comprised of:
- Ruby Almeida, a member of the steering committee of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics born in India and living in the United Kingdom
- Gonzalo Vilchis, a Mexican business administrator and member of the G.N.R.C.
- Alessandro Ludovico Previti, an Italian cultural consultant and project coordinator
- Christine Zuba, a transgender Catholic woman from New Jersey
Panelists were asked:
- Could you describe a meaningful or uplifting experience you’ve had as someone who is both LGBTQ and Catholic?
- Recognizing we come from different parts of the world, what is one encouraging sign you’ve seen—locally or globally—that gives you hope for the future of LGBTQ Catholics in the Church?
- What is something you hope to take back home with you to your local Catholic community from this experience of pilgrimage in Rome?
About 200 people joined the event, including a group of about 50 pilgrims who traveled to Rome with Outreach to take part in the pilgrimage. In a reflection about the gathering, Mr. O’Loughlin wrote that joy animated the discussion, pointing to remarks from several of the panelists.
This was the second such dialogue hosted by Outreach in Rome, the first taking place last year during the Synod on Synodality.
