Put Out into the Deep
Feb 14 2025
Hello, and welcome to the Put Out into the Deep, the newsletter of Building Catholic Futures.
No, this is not a special Valentine edition. (But Happy Feast of Ss Cyril and Methodius - and Valentine - to all and all those who hold special places in our hearts!) This issue has been slightly delayed as we juggle commitments in multiple dioceses—thanks to your prayers, donations, and willingness to connect us with Catholics who know the urgency of this work.
Today we explore BCF’s unique resource: the thousands of stories we have heard over the years.
Ocean Adventure
On Sunday we heard the Gospel from which BCF takes its motto: Jesus telling Simon, soon to be Peter, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). We chose this as our motto because it expresses the confidence and joy—the spirit of adventure—that we bring to this work.
It’s this delight in discovering the stories and journeys of LGBT/SSA+ people that helped Eve and Keith discover patterns in those stories: hidden opportunities for pastors, mentors, parents, and all Catholics of goodwill. It’s not just about the thousands of stories we’ve been blessed to receive personally. It’s about the people accompanied by the leaders who gathered at our founding retreat. It’s about the historical stories we’re uncovering through our series of biographical worksheets.
And so we’ve encountered an unusually wide range of stories. Not just the stories of the people closest to us in space, time, or relationship to the Church. Not just the stories that make sense to us! Keith has been able to accompany people whom Eve would never meet. The Catholic leaders who gathered at our founding retreat have accompanied even more people, from an even wider range of backgrounds and experiences.
BCF’s personnel, and all the people at our founding retreat, are LGBT/SSA+ ourselves. But our personal testimonies aren’t the foundation of our work. The foundation of our work is the stories we have received, and the lessons we’ve drawn about what tends to make pastoral care go well or badly. We receive all those stories with gratitude and hope, and we invite you to share in the adventure. Come on in—the deep water’s fine!
The anglerfish holds a “lantern” in the deep sea to attract other fish. Image via Animalia.bio and used under a Creative Commons license.
Eve and Keith