Bishop Ramón Bejarano, auxiliary of San Diego, preaching at June’s “All Are Welcome” Mass
In a hopeful sign for LGBTQ+ ministry, six parishes in the Diocese of San Diego celebrated an “All Are Welcome” Mass this summer. At the liturgy, a local bishop apologized to the LGBTQ+ community on behalf of the church and encouraged greater love and inclusion.
The Mass, hosted by St. John the Evangelist Church’s LGBTQ Ministry, was held during Pride Month in June. Bishop Ramón Bejarano, an auxiliary bishop in the diocese, presided over the liturgy, joined by seven priests and two deacons as concelebrants.
Beginning in song with the hymn “All Are Welcome,” the Mass affirmed that LGBTQ+ Catholics and their loved ones are wonderfully made and must be welcomed in the church. In his homily, Bishop Bejarano emphasized God’s love for every person as the “foundation of the world” and the need to encounter one another in love. He explained, in part:
“In his earthly ministry, Jesus never rejected anybody. He welcomed everyone, even his enemies. As a Church we must do the same, welcome everyone, without any distinction. In the words of Pope Francis, ‘Todos, todos, todos.’ Unfortunately, as a Church, sometimes we have not loved as God loves us, and we reject, discriminate, and push others away, even from the love and salvation of Christ. Last year I went to a workshop organized by New Way Ministry. It was not until I heard the stories of those present, that I realized the pain, the sorrow, the stigma and trauma that we have caused to others because we don’t accept them, because we tell them that they do not belong, because we judge them. Jesus will never inflict that kind of pain or trauma to people.”
The “All Are Welcome” Mass hosted by St. John the Evangelist in the Diocese of San Diego. June 2024.
Bishop Bejarano then offered an apology to the LGBTQ+ community, saying:
“I apologize for the pain and distress that I and the Church have caused to many of you. I apologize for the stigmatization and trauma we have caused to others, because we have told them that they are not valued and that they are not worthy of the love of God. There are many others out there who feel rejected and unvalued. Like Jesus, who in today’s gospel sent the Twelve for mission, so Jesus sends us home where we get welcomed. But before we get welcomed, we must also welcome. The members of the Church many times have not welcomed the homeless, the prisoner, the immigrant, the mentally ill, the LGBTQ, the one who speaks a different language or has a different skin color. We fall in the danger of seeing them as ‘they’ and ‘us’. The Church is a welcoming body for everyone who wants to get closer to Jesus. In this body there is only ‘us’. Today, when you share the sign of peace, also say, ‘And thank you for being here.’ Help everyone to feel welcome, valued and loved by God, who looks at the heart because he chose us first.”
The multilingual Mass also included intercessions focused on the LGBTQ+ community and other forms of marginalization that often intersect, such as refugees, those with mental illness, unhoused people, and “all who are forgotten or thrown away.” Two petitions read, in part:
“May those in the LGBTQ Community know God loves them for who they are and they are welcomed in our communities of faith. May those who have felt unwelcomed in the past, be embraced in our faith community today.
“For parents who have a gay, lesbian or transgender child, may you gain strength in knowing that your child is fashioned, as all are fashioned by God, with being with purpose and wonder. May you be reassured that you are not alone and that those in our faith communities are here to support you on your journey.”
At the end of Mass, Bishop Bejarano offered a special blessing for the faithful gathered, expressing gratitude for God’s diverse creation and a desire of the church to grow in appreciation of it. The bishop said, in part:
“Help us to embrace that each of our beloved LGBTQ siblings, and everyone who is or feels marginalized by your Church, are beautifully and wonderfully made, all in Your image. Teach us to love ourselves, as You love us, so we may in turn love all people, just as they are, and embrace their identity fully, as You have embraced us.
“We pray for our Church, that we may respond to the spirit’s call to welcome all. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring us to reconciliation, healing wounds and bridging the gaps that divide us.
“Please protect us all from those that wish to harm us. May the hearts of those who fear and condemn be changed.
“Bless our LGBTQ ministry, that we will continue to grow by Your grace and bring all people to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.”
In addition to St. John the Evangelist, the parishes of St. Thomas More, St. Catherine Labouré, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Joseph Cathedral, St. Francis of Assisi, and Saint Brigid were co-sponsors. The Diocese of San Diego and its leader, Cardinal Robert McElroy, also supported the Mass.
These churches in the Diocese of San Diego are included on New Ways Ministry’s list of LGBTQ-friendly parishes and faith communities which offer some form of public welcome to the community. To find a parish in your area, click here. And if you know of a parish not on the list, please submit it with an explanation of the welcome that is offered using New Ways Ministry’s Contact Form available here.
—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, September 9, 2024
