At Outreach 2024, our most recent national conference, Outreach announced a plan to host more regional events, both to build community and introduce our ministry to a wider audience.
To accomplish this mission, last week Outreach partnered with two parishes on opposite sides of the country to host simultaneous regional events. On the Pacific Coast, Outreach joined the St. Monica Catholic Community in Los Angeles and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Catholic Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Persons (CMLGP) for a service of Advent Lessons and Carols. On the Atlantic coast, Outreach joined a local parish in Rhode Island to offer an Advent prayer service. The over 200 people present at both events learned about not only Outreach, but also each other.
In the days leading up to the event in Los Angeles, I took some time to meet with various friends of Outreach, including a member of our inaugural Young Adult Committee for Outreach 2026, Isaac Cardenas. (Our national conference, Outreach 2026: Walking Side by Side will take place June 19-21, 2026 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Registration opens soon!) We shared our excitement for the upcoming event and its timeliness, especially given where society finds itself today. Isaac then shared a powerful reflection with me—that this Outreach event in Los Angeles encapsulates what Advent might mean for LGBTQ Catholics: expectant waiting in joyful hope for greater inclusion and celebration of our stories in the church.
Thanks to the generous hospitality of St. Monica Catholic Community and the Catholic Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Persons, this hope for inclusion became a visible reality. From decorating the sanctuary, to providing the music, to welcoming us at the social gathering afterwards, they helped to create a space where Advent joy and hope quickly became the theme of the entire evening.
As more than 150 people from all across Los Angeles County battled the rush-hour traffic and filled the pews, I noticed the smiles and palpable energy that came when old friends were reacquainted and new friendships were made. This contagious feeling of Advent hope quickly spread as people (myself included) joined LGBTQ Catholics and allies of all ages, ethnicities and genders to sing loudly, pray boldly and share our stories. For one Advent pilgrim present, this even meant coming from as far as Philadelphia, PA.
The Scripture stories read and the carols sung reminded the congregation that God offers comfort to God’s children and that God’s justice will ultimately prevail. The Rev. Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, the pastor of St. Monica Catholic Community, shared a message of exceeding welcome and belonging. The message offered by Bill Chapman, co-chair of the Archdiocesan Catholic Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Persons, affirmed that LGBTQ Catholics are not alone in our journey of faith–as evidenced by the multiple LGBTQ ministries present at the event. The presence of these ministries, as well as the many participants, was another great cause of rejoicing, as many LGBTQ people know what it feels to journey in faith alone.
After the songs and Scripture readings concluded, we joined in a procession, walking side by side in candlelight to the parish hall, where I experienced a deep sense of joy among the crowd, especially among the young people. I was able to chat with many young LGBTQ Catholics from a variety of additional LGBTQ ministries in Los Angeles who shared with me their joy for this work of inclusion, as well as their desire to learn more about Outreach.
These numerous ministries present an additional reason why I enjoy our regional events: they allow Outreach to celebrate and elevate LGBTQ Catholic ministries that have been working in this vineyard for many years. As one example, the Gay and Lesbian Outreach (GLO) Ministry at St. Monica Catholic Community itself has been serving the LGBTQ community for over 30 years and the CMLGP for the past 40 years. These ministries serve as beacons of hope for the church and partners with Outreach in the vineyard, working for greater inclusion for LGBTQ people.
It’s also wonderful for us to be able to gather with people who might not be able to make it to our national conferences and retreats. These regional events help Outreach to meet people where they are, as Jesus did, both spiritually and geographically.
As the evening wore on, however, many of the attendees needed to leave so that they could rise to sing “mañanitas,” or morning songs, to Our Lady of Guadalupe at 5 a.m. on her Feast the following day, December 12. I could not help but notice that the event ended just as it began: with great hope and joy for God’s justice and kingdom to reign forever, with Our Lady of Guadalupe by our side on our pilgrimage there, as Advent promises.
