Brick presents award to Dignity/Washington

Distinguished Service Award to Dignity/Washington

Presented by GLAA President Barrett L. Brick

GLAA 37th Anniversary Reception
Washington Plaza Hotel
Thursday, April 17, 2008


Dignity/Washington has provided a healing outreach to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Catholics and other people in Washington, D.C. since 1972. Living out the ideals of a community of faith, in addition to celebrating weekly Mass, Dignity/Washington provides an Outreach Ministry that includes activities such as the annual Solidarity Sunday antiviolence initiative, the monthly Damien Ministries collection, and ongoing support for St. Margaret’s Charlie’s Place ministry. The group’s Pastoral Care Council responds to the range of pastoral concerns of the community in a sensitive and professional way. They make available religious educational materials, conduct religious issue group discussions featuring guest speakers and panels of priests and lay persons, and conduct spiritual retreats. Dignity/Washington provides spiritual, social and educational support and leadership development, and seeks to be an instrument through which GLBT people may be heard by and to promote reform within the Catholic Church.

There is no doubt that reform is necessary. The October 1986 “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual persons,” issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose Prefect at the time was one Joseph Ratzinger – I understand he’s in town today, is he here? -- labeled homosexuals as “objectively disordered” and homosexual acts as “intrinsically evil.” Following this letter, most Dignity chapters were soon evicted from Church property. Though one of the last to be evicted, Dignity/Washington was finally barred from meeting at St. William’s Chapel on the campus of Georgetown University.

To many people, this is just another reason to turn away from religion. But members of Dignity/Washington and its sibling chapters across the country have held on to their Catholic identity. As they do so, they stand as not so silent witnesses, refusing to be defined away. Dignity/Washington found a new home at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church above Dupont Circle. They promulgated the Petition from a People in Exile against the October 1986 letter, demanding that Bishops establish their credibility in the area of pastoral care by reaching out to all Church members on human relationship and sexuality issues. When the Bishops of Arlington and Richmond issued a pastoral letter supporting the 2006 ballot initiative to ban marriage equality in the state, Dignity/Washington responded with an open letter. “Shame on you!” the letter opened. “Your recent letter is not as Christ teaches, nor we believe as Christ intends for pastors. We offer an opposing gospel message on this issue, and issue a word of prophecy to you in your role as our bishops.” And members of Dignity/Washington and other chapters have been greeting the Pope during his visit to Washington this week, with signs presenting a positive message to counter the hurtful things he has been saying for years about GLBT people.

I first worked with Dignity/Washington in the mid-1980s, when I was president of Congregation Bet Mishpachah, and Jim Deely was president of Dignity/Washington, and we collaborated on interfaith outreach activities. Over the years, I have been enriched by the many friendships I have found within Dignity/Washington, and I am most pleased to present the organization with GLAA’s Distinguished Service Award.