A Poet, A Priest, And a Princess

One of the very earliest projects BCF conceived was a series of short biographies telling the stories of real historical figures who experienced same-sex desire and found peace in Catholic faith. We consulted with parents, teachers, and youth catechists, as well as asking LGBT/SSA+ Catholics what they wish their schools and CCD programs had provided. Our goal was to weave gay people’s stories into the great Story of our faith: not a separate lesson, not a special Diversity Day or footnote about sexual morality, but a way for students of any orientation to see their own questions, hopes, and experiences in the lives of LGBT+ Catholics.

We began turning these short biographies into worksheets for use with high-school–aged students. These worksheets are designed for CCD/catechism, Theology, and Religion classes, though if you have an idea for another way to use them, let us know. And let us know now—since the first three worksheets are ready for beta-testing!

In four-page folios with illustrations, journal and discussion questions, quotations, prayer prompts, and project ideas, we tell the stories of:

• Dunstan Thompson, a daring soldier-poet who rediscovered his childhood faith and brought his lover to the Church;
• Fr. Henri Nouwen, a stereotypical “good Catholic kid” who struggled with perfectionism and loneliness before discovering friendship in an unexpected place;
• and Liane de Pougy, who won fame for her beauty and scandalous life before marrying a prince—but who almost lost everything before God showed her the path to peace.

Through these stories, we help students reflect on questions like:

• Why do you think friendship and welcome were so important in Dunstan Thompson’s images of Heaven?
• Can you think of a time when you were able to help someone else because you’d been through something painful yourself? What did that feel like?
• Liane de Pougy had what so many of us want: fame, fortune, marriage—she even married a prince! What does her experience tell us about the ideas of happiness we see in movies or on TV?

If you or an educator you know might be interested in being one of the first to use these innovative materials with students, set up a call with Eve by filling out the “Contact Us” form We’ll share the PDFs, work with you to figure out the best ways to use these resources in your curriculum in the coming year, talk through the thinking behind the worksheets, and answer your questions. Once you’ve had a chance to use them in the classroom, we’ll set up a follow-up call to hear how things went and what can be improved.

These worksheets will be released next year in their final versions, along with more formal support for using them in classrooms. This training will become part of the offerings in BCF’s Educator Workshops. As a beta-tester, you can help shape how young people hear these urgent stories of welcome and discovery.

You may remember that when we asked young LGBT/SSA+ Catholics what they hoped for from the Church, one woman gave the poignant answer: “I hope you’ll tell me about a gay saint.”  We all need to know that people like us have been loved and called by God to lives of adventurous holiness. These three lives open the door to that adventure.

Dunstan Thompson, Catholic Poet