St. Dorothy Catholic Community. (Photo taken from website)
ORLANDO | Starting in August, an independent Catholic community in Central Florida will be hosting special religious services geared toward the LGBTQ+ community.
St. Dorothy Catholic Community in Orlando, which is not under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando, had its parishioners vote to make the third Sunday of each month a special service dedicated to those in the drag and transgender communities.
“Considering all the recent political happenings across the country which have affected these two communities, the parishioners felt that while protests, civil disobedience and gatherings are all well and good and definitely needed, a spiritual piece was also needed to combat the laws, hatred, etc. which these communities have endured and continue to endure,” St. Dorothy’s said in a press release.
At these liturgies, special prayers will be said, honoring those who have passed away in the community due to bigotry and hatred. General prayers will also be provided as well as space to welcome the communities where unconditional love will be shared and practiced.
St. Dorothy will also be offering baptisms to anyone in the trans community who wishes to be baptized with their new/reborn identity, stating they “want to reaffirm through the Sacrament of Baptism that new emerging person.”
“Christ went after those that were being objected to, they were being maligned, or the outcasts. That’s who we are trying to reach out to,” says Father James F Profirio-Bond, pastor of St. Dorothy. “That they have a safe place to come worship if they so desire. Every Sunday, but we’ll dedicate one Sunday a month. It would be specifically for those of the trans and drag community so that they feel a safe place to come. I know that many of them have been injured from their respected past faiths. As I said, a safe place for them to come worship. We don’t judge.”
The trans- and drag-focused mass will be on the third Sunday of each month starting Aug. 20.
For more information on St. Dorothy Catholic Community, visit StDorothyCatholicCommunity.org.
