FutureChurch continues its 2025 Pride series and commemorates Juneteenth with this presentation from Teresa Thompson. In her presentation, Thompson explores 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 offers reflections on how the Spirit moves in and through overlooked places and people.
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.
During the darkest days of the global pandemic many church-goers took to the Internet to meet their liturgical needs. As stay-at-home bans lifted and folks started returning to the pews, staff at St. Cecilia Parish in Boston noticed their number of online viewers wasn’t decreasing. In fact, even after church pews were filled to capacity, the parish was still receiving a few thousand live streamers every week. As the online participation remained strong, a remote attendee suggested starting an “online coffee hour” for other remote Mass attendees to share fellowship and conversation. The staff responded by placing a notice in the weekly bulletin. Would anyone be interested in a monthly online coffee hour? If so, would anyone be willing to facilitate such a group? The response was overwhelmingly positive. A small group of volunteers offered to facilitate monthly meetings via Zoom, with groups ranging from fifty to one hundred participants. Over the past four years the online monthly coffee hours have continued to foster community and conversation, connecting parishioners across the miles.
In addition to online liturgy and the monthly coffee hour, the leadership team meets every week for faith sharing of their own as well as to plan upcoming events. From these leadership meetings the Spirit has inspired the group to extend its ministry to include faith-sharing groups, book clubs, and even a yearly parish retreat. The first Far-Flung Flock retreat took place in person in 2023, and over 100 members of the Flock traveled to Boston for the event. This year, as a reminder that the Far-Flung Flock is not a subgroup of the parish but an active and included ministry, the retreat will integrate both local and long-distance parishioners.
Members of the Far-Flung Flock are busy preparing for their annual retreat.
When asked about the benefit of belonging to the Far-Flung Flock, representatives of the leadership team could not have expressed more gratitude for what the group has given them. One benefit of the ministry that was echoed by all is that it includes so many people who have been hurt, disappointed, or have completely given up on the Church. According to leadership team member Annette Smith, joining all the way from the UK, the challenge isn’t the desire to attend Mass, but to find an inclusive church community. “There is a whole pool of people who want to go to church,” she shared. “The Church isn’t dying. The Church is alive–but people don’t know where to find it.”
With ministry groups created specifically for LGBTQ+ persons, as well as climate justice ministries, youth faith formation, and older adult ministries, a ministry for adults who leave prison, and more, St. Cecilia boasts being an open and inclusive parish community. And the Far-Flung Flock extends the reach of St. Cecilia’s value of inclusivity across the country and around the world. For many, this access is priceless.
In online spaces organized by the leadership team and other volunteers, members of the Far-Flung Flock share the importance of an inclusive Catholic space. They share burdens and setbacks, and through their sharing they realize they aren’t alone. Though they admit that an online and global faith community is an unconventional one, there is a strong and vital sense of community nevertheless.
“It’s a gift,” shared leadership team member Ann Van Damm, “to receive the Eucharist from Fr. John and from the community.” Fellow leadership team member Betty Anne Asaro nodded along, sharing that being a member of the Far-Flung Flock has not only helped her want to deepen her spirituality, but even became a catalyst to relocate from New York to Massachusetts so she could live closer to St. Cecilia.
So what’s next for this virtual community? The leadership team couldn’t say for sure, but demonstrated a clear trust that the Spirit that led them here will continue to show them what to do next. And when She does, they’ll continue to be ready to say yes.
Do you know of or belong to a community that you would like to see highlighted? Reach out to Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.
FutureChurch continues its 2025 Pride Month Series with a presentation from Sr. Marian Durkin, CSA. In her talk, Sr. Marian shares the story of her 35 year ministry to and with the LGBTQ+ community in Cleveland, OH – from opening a support center for persons with AIDS, to co-founding a retreat for LGBTQ+ Catholics, to her current spiritual accompaniment with the trans community.
Sr. Marian Durkin is a Sister of Charity of Saint Augustine. Since leaving her role on the leadership Council for her congregation, Sr. Marian Durkin has been involved in a number of volunteer activities. She participates monthly in a prayer group at Edna House, a house for women in recovery based in Ignatian Spirituality. She co-facilitates an annual retreat for the LGBTQ+ community, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. She remains active in her opposition of the death penalty and in her support of the trans community.
FutureChurch begins its 2025 Pride Month Series with this presentation on Synodality and Queer Theology from Dr. Ish Ruiz. In his presentation, Dr. Ruiz names some key “ingredients” for a synodal church, discusses the posture and goals of contemporary queer theology, and explores ways in which queer theology can inform synodality.
Dr. Ish Ruiz is an assistant professor of Latinx and Queer Decolonial Theology at Pacific School of Religion and holds a PhD in Theology and Ethics from the Graduate Theological Union. He is also the coordinator of the Latinx Roundtable of the Center for LGBTQ+ and Gender Studies in Religion housed at PSR. A native from Puerto Rico and a queer Catholic theologian, Ish’s research interests explore the intersection between Catholic moral theology, queer theology, Latinx theology, ecclesiology, sexual ethics, liberation, human rights, and Catholic education. He is the author of LGBTQ+ Educators in Catholic Schools: Embracing Synodality, Inclusivity, and Justice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) and a co-editor of Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions (New Ways Ministry, 2024). He has published several academic and public theology articles in the field of Catholic theological ethics and has ministered in Catholic schools and parishes on matters of LGBTQ+ and Latinx inclusion throughout the nation.
On May 27, 2025, FutureChurch hosted its first “Modeling Synodality from the Margins” panel with a focus on liturgy. We were delighted to welcome and hear from four communities who practice synodality in their liturgical life in prophetic ways.
About the Communities:
The Community of St. Hildegard– a community who celebrates both in-person and Zoom liturgies and is intentional about nurturing and honoring full and active virtual participation of its Zoom community
Washington Home Inclusive Monthly Mass (WHIMM) – a community of friends and neighbors who host inclusive Masses, led by a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, and fellowship in their homes once a month
Community of St. Peter – a community that formed and incorporated after their beloved parish was closed
The Living Beatitudes Community – a community that combined a Dignity chapter with Catholics whose parishes were being closed or merged, whose liturgies are co-presided by a wide variety of people, lay and ordained
When the Cleveland diocese announced its 2008 reconfiguration plan, many Catholics around the city were dismayed. Thirty parishes, including historic St. Peter’s in downtown Cleveland, were mandated to permanently close. So on April 4, 2010, the late Fr. Bob Marrone presided over the parish’s final Liturgy, ending with a dramatic closing of the sanctuary doors. It was Easter Sunday.
For the next four months, members of St. Peter parish gathered together in a meeting room at Cleveland State University– praying, singing, and strengthening their commitment to remain in community despite their shocking new circumstances. On August 15, 2010, the group moved from their upper room to a building down the road– a refurbished warehouse that would become their new worship space.
Waving the Community of St. Peter flag with pride at Pride in the CLE 2024. (Photo credit: Martha Ligas)
Now, 15 years and two pastors later, the Community of St. Peter is the only independent and inclusive Eucharistic community in the Catholic tradition in the city of Cleveland. With roughly 250 total members and about 100 at each Sunday Liturgy, the Community works to strike a balance between faithfulness to the Catholic tradition and freedom to blossom from that tradition in new and creative ways.
“It’s a balancing act,” says Martha Ligas, Pastoral Minister for the Community. “Where is it imperative that we remain faithful to our tradition, and where are we being invited to renew the tradition? For example, we draw our weekly readings from the same lectionary as all Roman Catholic parishes, but we welcome all to the Eucharistic Table. We believe in the seven sacraments of the Catholic tradition, but also believe that they should be available to all persons without exception. We use the Roman Catholic rite, but our current pastor is ordained UCC, not Roman Catholic. Through open communication and steady dialogue, we are constantly processing together where to preserve and where to renew. While this isn’t always a smooth process, it’s always a fruitful one, as it allows space for everyone’s voice to be heard in the process.”
Community members and friends bless outgoing pastor Bob Kloos during his final presiding Liturgy in 2024. (Photo credit: Peggy Turbett)
Participating in Liturgy at the Community of St. Peter feels very similar to Catholic parishes– though simple in style, the sanctuary holds a baptismal font, a Tabernacle, and an Altar table. Folks sit in the round, and stand up and sit down at all the typical times one would expect in the Catholic Mass. But there are some differences, too. Given the Community was created before the changes to the Roman missal, congregational responses include phrases like “and also with you,” as opposed to the now widely accepted “and with your spirit.” The pastor and presider of the Community is married with children, and the female pastoral minister preaches twice a month. They also offer a gluten free and alcohol free option during Communion. Despite its adherence to many Catholic traditions, it is clear that liberties have been taken to adopt a more contemporary– and more inclusive– Liturgical experience.
So who’s attracted to a place like the Community of St. Peter? “It’s a mixed demographic,” says Martha. “While from the outside it may look like a homogenous group, folks come from a wide variety of theological backgrounds. I would say maybe half are members who have remained in the Community since it was created in 2010, a quarter are dissatisfied or disenfranchised Catholics who are attracted to the inclusive nature of our Liturgy, and the other quarter are Christians or seekers from no denomination at all that are attracted to the ways we function as a community. It’s constantly evolving, and we continue to be fed by the perspectives of new members who find sanctuary or solace in our space.”
Community members and friends bless the pastoral staff during Pastor Joe Blotz’s first presiding Liturgy in 2024. (Photo credit: Peggy Turbett)
In addition to a focus on the liturgical experience, the Community of St. Peter is actively engaged in education programs, the arts, and social justice initiatives. With recent speakers such as Mark Massa, SJ of Boston College and Jeannine Hill-Fletcher of Fordham University, yearly retreats, and participation in advocacy events such as Pride in the CLE, the Community deeply values education, spiritual engagement, and advocacy.
So what’s next for the Community of St. Peter? “That’s a tough one,” Martha says. “In a community such as this– one that sits on the boundary between what was and what could be– all we can do is continue to listen to where the Spirit is guiding us. And,” she added, “to not be afraid to follow Her lead!”
Interested in learning more about the Community of St. Peter? Their liturgies are live-streamed on their YouTube page every Sunday at 11:00am ET.
Do you know of or belong to a community that you would like to see highlighted? Reach out to Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.
Habemus Papam! We have a pope! Pope Leo XIV. With our Church still in the middle of our global Synod process – which has raised so many important issues – and the world in so much chaos and turmoil, many are wondering what may come of the papacy of Leo XIV: What does Pope Leo mean for synodality? What about women? What about LGBTQ+ Catholics? Why did he choose the name Leo? How will being Augustinian shape his papacy?
FutureChurch hosted a panel of dynamic and insightful Catholic women who considered these questions and more.
About our panelists:
Brianne Jacobs is Catholic feminist theologian. Her scholarship expresses the faith of Catholic Christianity in light of new and developing science and philosophy of sexual difference, with the goal of liberation and joy for all people across gender. Jacobs hold a BA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD, an MA in Systematic Theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and a PhD in Systematic Theology from Fordham University. She is currently assistant professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA where she coordinates and teaches for the Women and Gender Studies Minor, and has won multiple teaching awards. Jacobs’ writing has appeared in Theological Studies and America Magazine. Her first monograph, Holy Body: Gender and Sexual Difference in Theological Anthropology and Ecclesiology, was published in October 2024.
Marianne Duddy-Burke is the executive director of DignityUSA and co-chair of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics. She has served in leadership positions in the Catholic LGBTQ+ movement since 1985 and was. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, the National Catholic Reporter and The Advocate. Founded in 1969, DignityUSA is the world’s oldest Catholic organization for LGBTQIA+ ministry and advocacy.
Theresa Gardner is originally from Haddon Heights, New Jersey. She received a bachelor’s in music and theology from the Catholic University of America and a Master’s in Theology and Religious studies from Villanova University. During her time at Villanova, her areas of interest were feminist theology, interfaith studies, ecclesiology, and postcolonial/Decolonial theories. Theresa serves as the Director of Christian Service at Loyola School in New York City.
Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns was appointed by the late Pope Francis as lay delegate to the Synod on Synodality, becoming one of the history-making women who voted for the first time at a synod. Dr. Bailey Manns is the Director of Adult Learning at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Community in Minneapolis—a community whose vision is to be a visible, progressive Catholic Community, compassionate and welcoming to all. She holds a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Florida and currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
Contact: Russ Petrus, Executive Director
russ@futurechurch.org | 216-228-0869 x2
FutureChurch joins Catholics around the world in a spirit of solidarity and hope in praying for Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, and our entire global community.
In his inaugural address to those gathered at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV declared: “We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive like this square with open arms.” These words resonate deeply with our mission and are an invitation for all Catholics to continue building a synodal Church together.
At FutureChurch, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for the full and equal participation of all people in the life, ministry, and leadership of the Church. We pray that Pope Leo XIV will be an ally in this ongoing work and that his papacy will carry forward and deepen the vision of a listening, inclusive, loving, and missionary Church. His concluding words at the Vatican echo this hope: “To all of you, [people] of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks together, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always tries to be close especially to those who suffer.”
A Chicago native, Pope Leo XIV’s journey as a member of the Order of St. Augustine, a missionary bishop in Peru, and as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and fluency in multiple languages demonstrates a commitment to global outreach and service. His election is a hopeful sign that the Church will remain committed to centering the most vulnerable among us and addressing the urgent needs of our world today . We pray that his leadership will reflect the radical love of Jesus — inclusive, compassionate, and courageous.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy, FutureChurch looks forward to continuing our important work and collaborating with this pontificate towards a more just Church and world.
