In a brief letter sent to Jesuit Fr. James Martin, Pope Francis said he was “glad” that Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., will celebrate Mass on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 3, for attendees of the Outreach 2024 LGBTQ Catholic Ministry Conference hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Aug. 2-4.
“I will be spiritually with him and with all of you, united in prayer,” Francis wrote.
It’s the first year a cardinal will attend the annual gathering in the three years since Martin founded Outreach in 2022. Hoping to make the church a “more welcoming” place, Martin said that the goal of Outreach is “to celebrate and elevate the LGBTQ Catholic experience,” eventually building a lasting community through the conference.
About 350 attendees and panelists from across the United States and abroad — including Catholic LGBTQ lay people, clergy, scholars, artists, educators and students, and family members and friends who are allies — are expected to take part in this year’s conference panels, prayer services, Masses and social hours.
In a letter that Gregory wrote to the participants in which he quotes Francis on the importance of community prayer, he said that “with this conference, you are providing a safe place for individuals, families, and friends to pray, discern, and grow in their love and understanding of the teachings of the Church.”
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