It's the Most Urgent, So Let's Do It Last!

Recently, Building Catholic Futures presented to a group of Catholic leaders in one of dioceses with whom we are working. We shared what we’ve learned about mentoring, accompanying, and evangelizing LGBT/SSA+ people, and we heard from those leading pastoral ministry “on the ground” about their experiences and needs.

One conversation stood out. At one point a leader in the Catholic school system said, “Where I think your work is most urgent is in our high schools.”

A colleague of hers nodded thoughtfully, and he said, “I agree that it’s the most urgent. And I think we’ll do it last.”

That may seem illogical. Shouldn’t the most urgent work be done first? But this diocesan leader was expressing a real insight into how BCF works.

We learned what helps young people by first identifying gay people who were flourishing in Catholic faith. Then we asked them what they needed, what helped and what hindered their relationship with Christ and the Church. 

Only once we deeply understood the lives of adult Catholics could we “reverse-engineer” to ask what might help the next generation find those paths of flourishing.

1. Getting to know gay “Witnesses” leads to → 
2. Understanding the patterns of our “Journeys” leads to → 
3. Equipping young people for flourishing “Futures.”

There are other ways of understanding progression of our three Tracks. But this sequence may be especially helpful for people working in environments where most people haven’t met any flourishing gay Catholics yet.

1. Encounter opens leaders to be familiar with people's stories.
2. Familiarity builds confidence in accompaniment.
3. Confidence sustains the ministries that help people flourish.

What gives you confidence that gay people have a home and a future in the Catholic Church? 

And if you’re not sure about that right now… what would give you that confidence?

Our job is to help as many Catholic leaders as possible encounter Witnesses, understand Journeys, and envision Futures of flourishing for gay people in the Church. At each stage of this progression, confidence grows!

When's the Future?