Our Pride Liturgy theme this year was Celebrating the Priesthood of All Believers. We celebrated Pride at St. John's in the Village where we meet each Sunday. Over 120 people were welcomed and presented a rainbow stole at the door proclaiming, “We are celebrating the Priesthood of All Believers”.
In three languages the Pride Proclamation announced... “Tonight is the night, we gather as a community of individuals, working together to welcome the oppressed, exiled and excluded, to touch the poor and suffering, heal the sick, and care for the homebound and forgotten.”
Sr. Theresa Kane, RSM, was the homilist. Mercy Sister Theresa Kane is still remembered by many for making history in 1979 when, as the president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, she greeted Pope John Paul II at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. with a request to open all of the ministries of the Roman Catholic Church to women.
She has since been referred to as the "most identifiable advocate of women's ordination" by the National Catholic Reporter.
She has continued to address Catholic hot-button issues ever since, most recently criticizing the Vatican's investigation into American communities of nuns - officially known as the apostolic visitation of institutes of women religious - calling it a "veiled effort to turn back the clock on religious life" and "spiritual violence."
Before the NYC pride began, we spent thirty minutes in front of St. Patrick’s in witness. We have done this continuously since 1987. This year our witness was particularly visible, talking and answering questions to people going into and out of the Cathedral.
The NYC Pride March kicked off at 12 Noon from Fifth Ave. We had a wonderful trolley and one of the largest pride flags in the parade! Our tee shirts, designed by Ted Appeal proclaimed for all, “God Made Us Equal” keeping with the theme of the parade, Liberty and Justice for All.
On Sunday afternoon, Out & Faithful and In The Life Ministries presents Faith in Pride at the LGBT Center. This was the fourth annual non-denominational faith service in celebration of Pride 2010. The service is co-sponsored by Unity Fellowship Church, Dignity New York, SoulFource, Bronx Community Pride Center, Potters House Church and Out & Faithful.
For more information, go to www.dignityny.org, e-mail us at dignityny@aol.com or call us at 646-418-7039.
Join us for Dignity New York’s 38th Anniversary Celebration at the end of October.
