Dignity/Washington Retreat Held on “Be Not Afraid”

Jaimie Manson, a Catholic lay minister who has served two Manhattan churches and the homeless population of NYC, led a day of reflection on the theme Be Not Afraid: A Retreat For LGBT Catholics in a Changing Church on April 5 at the Dignity Center. Jaimie holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, is a writer for the weekly column, Grace on the Margins, for the National Catholic Reporter and has led retreats and workshops nationally. Through sharing her own faith experience, she encouraged the group to reflect on why it was important for each of us to be Catholic and call ourselves Catholic, and how we welcomed others into the Church. Dignity/Washington member Tony Gryzmala presented an experiential introduction to Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, which for many in the group was the highlight of the retreat. The day ended with a very fine communal Brazilian dinner.