Dignity/Chicago, the affirming Roman Catholic community for lesbian, gay, transgendered and bisexual people, will hold its annual Couple’s Blessing Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003 during the weekly 5 p.m Mass.
Dignity meets at 3344 N. Broadway in Chicago. Call the Dignity office at (773) 296-0780 for further information or to reserve a place at the workshop. Couples at any stage of relationship are invited to participate in the Blessing.
While this annual blessing is not a union ceremony [Dignity has other procedures for those who are interested in a union ceremony], it is a acknowledgement and affirmation of relationships by the community.
‘As Catholics, we believe a ritual blessing sends an important message of affirmation,’ said Dignity board president Remmington Van Allen. ‘We don’t get recognition of our relationships and commitments from society at large and only get condemnation of them from the Church. So it’s important that glbt people create our own rituals, ceremonies, and affirmation. Part of Dignity’s mission is to witness to our belief that we gay men, lesbians and bisexuals can express our sexuality in a manner consonant with Christ’s teaching and that our relationships are loving, lifegiving, and life-affirming. Giving this blessing is an important affirmation of our relationships not only to the Church and society, but to our own communities as well.’