Too often, the immense spiritual wisdom, examplary ministry, and prophetic leadership embodied by queer Catholics and Catholics of color goes unrecognized by the institutional Church. Yet, these gifts are real, vital, and deeply transformational—whether or not they receive official acknowledgment.
In her presentation, Teresa Thompson will explore what it means to shift away from asking for inclusion or representation and instead move toward claiming space within our faith tradition and our Church. Drawing from her own personal experiences in a Catholic Lesbians ministry and from the work of Black writers influenced by Catholic thought—creators whose work is theologically powerful even if they’re not labeled "theologians"—Thompson will reflect on how the Spirit moves in and through overlooked places and people.
Finally, just as Juneteenth marks an ongoing recommitment to the truth of freedom already preclaimed but not yet fully realized, Teresa will invite us all to recommit to honoring the truth of the sacredness of queer Catholics and Catholics of color.
Teresa Thompson is a Catholic writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work has been published by Geez Magazine, FutureChurch, Catholic Women Preach, and Ignatian Solidarity Network and can additionally be read on her Substack, Liturgy of the Ours. Teresa is also a Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union and a board member of the Metro NY chapter of Call To Action, and serves as part of the Catholic Lesbians ministry at the Church of Saint Francis Xavier. Originally hailing from the Caribbean and Ireland, Teresa worked in New York City’s public mental health system for seven years before founding her private practice, where she specializes in providing psychotherapy for complex trauma and religious trauma. She loves being a friend, sister, daughter, wife, and mother.