Cardinal George was the main celebrant at a Mass on June16 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 690 West Belmont Ave. in honor of the 25th anniversary of Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach (AGLO). AGLO provides an accepting and affirming atmosphere in which to worship in the Catholic tradition and opportunities for spiritual growth and sharing of gifts. (Karen Callaway / Catholic New World)
For 25 years, the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach has provided a spiritual home to many men and women in the Catholic community. Cardinal George joined the AGLO community on June 16 for a Mass celebrating its 25 anniversary at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 708 W. Belmont Ave. The church was filled with many of the group’s 450 members for the evening Mass. During his homily, Cardinal George said that when he reads the minutes of the AGLO meetings he often notices how the ministry regularly responds to the needs of others through charity. “The concern is always for the other,” he said. “This is, for me, a great confirmation that this is a ministry of the church.” He also asked the group to consider how they can join in the new evangelization and take the message of Jesus to the wider world. After working with Cardinal Bernardin and gaining his permission, AGLO celebrated its first Mass on June 5, 1988 at St. Sebastian Church with 55 participants. When that church closed, AGLO moved its Masses to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Belmont Avenue. They’ve been having Masses there every Sunday night at 7 p.m. since 1990. Today its members are predominantly men, although there are women members. For AGLO co-director Santiago Toledo, this anniversary marked a milestone and an appreciation for AGLO’s history. He has been part of AGLO for 15 years and said while there have been challenges between the church and the gay community, there are also opportunities to grow. “Just as the church is teaching so it is learning — from us. We are the church,” he said. Having AGLO in his faith life is important to Toledo. “To be able to belong to an organization that facilitates people to express their love of God is a great opportunity,” he said. Father Pat Lee, archdiocesan liaison to AGLO, has been involved with the group since its beginnings and said the group has become increasingly more spiritual over the years. In addition to the weekly Mass, they gather together in prayer groups, conduct service projects and hold retreats and days of reflection. “I think a lot of the initial fear and anger has dissipated. They just want to be known for who they are, loved for who they are and serve the Lord,” Lee said. The group is in transition and sees more younger people and Latinos and Asians joining. “They find a home and that is what we want the church to be,” he said. Having ministries to the homosexual community is important for the church. “The truth is some people have been hurt by family, some people have been hurt by people in the church, so this outreach to pull them back in is important,” he said. When ministering to this community, Lee says he tries to help them keep Christ at the center of their lives. “Many in the gay community — the political activist people — want to make being gay the center of their being and actually gay is an adjective,” Lee said. “It’s not your essence. Our essence is we are children of God and hopefully disciples of Christ.”