Specific responsibilities include the following:
- Serving as an advisory and resourcing body to the Diocesan administration, particularly in the implementation of the USCCB pastoral letter: Always Our Children, Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination (Guidelines for Pastoral Care), and our diocesan pastoral plan for the Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry.
- Meeting with pastoral groups, districts and organizations to discuss pastoral ministry to lesbian/gay persons, their families and friends, and the broader Catholic community
- Planning retreat, prayer and community building experiences for lesbian/gay persons, their families and friends
- Serving as a resource group in planning educational opportunities for the broader Catholic Community on the Church's teaching regarding homosexuality and issues of homophobia
- Participating in interfaith/ecumenical discussion and events for the lesbian/gay community
- Assisting in the establishment and ongoing support of faith sharing and support groups for gay and lesbian Catholics and their families
- Researching and providing resources on homosexuality which are consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church, i.e. curriculum guides, audio-visual materials, and written resources
- Maintaining a connection with other Gay and Lesbian Ministries in other Dioceses.
- Providing referrals for counselors, spiritual directors, and confessors.
- Providing opportunities to be witnesses of compassion to the wider community.
- Providing opportunities for ongoing education on topics related to the topic of homosexuality, homophobia, and pastoral care.
Membership
- Three to four members representing the pastoral staffs serving the faith sharing and support groups
- One to two members chosen from each of the faith sharing and support groups
- Two members of the clergy, one of whom is a moral theologian
- Four to six lay representatives from the broader Catholic community
- Two educators from the high school level, two campus ministers college/university level and a representative from the Office of Catholic Education
- A representative from the health care field, a social worker, a psychologist.
