Another great Quest Conference

This year’s Quest Conference in Winchester reportedly went well with two brilliant, informative and thought-provoking speakers, Mary McAleese (pictured below with Mark Dowd) and Sam Hall. One delegate commented that the venue and the food were both good. A report on the conference will appear in the Autumn Quest Bulletin which should be going out…… Continue reading Another great Quest Conference

Quest support for LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers

In the margins of the 2018 Conference a few delegates gathered on Saturday afternoon to discuss the important work being undertaken by individual members to support asylum seekers and refugees. In particular, discussion centred around whether it would be possible to support those members at a more formal level. One area that was considered to…… Continue reading Quest support for LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers

2018 Conference Report

Lincoln Cathedral Quarter - Saturday 11th August 2018

This year’s Annual Conference, held in the comfortable surroundings of Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, was my first experience of any Quest event, and I was not at all disappointed. It was good to enter as a group into the highly topical discussion surrounding James Martin’s book Building a Bridge. In a more general way I…… Continue reading 2018 Conference Report

Sr Jeannine Gramick: “What Can WE Do?”

Following her formal address to conference, Sr Gramick followed up on her thoughts on how LGBT Catholics could “run with the ball” in advancing LGBT ministry and doctrines, in a formal conference Q&A, and also in a personal interview with myself (concerning a project for the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups). One question asked…… Continue reading Sr Jeannine Gramick: “What Can WE Do?”

“Act Justly, Love Mercy”: Sr Jeannine Gramick on Doctrine

I began yesterday, with Sr Jeannine’s thoughts on how Pope Francis is directly impacting pastoral practice for LGBT Catholics. There remains the problem of the difficult Vatican doctrine, which at least on the surface, has not changed at all. To achieve the necessary change, she suggested using a football metaphor, LGBT Catholics need to “run…… Continue reading “Act Justly, Love Mercy”: Sr Jeannine Gramick on Doctrine

“Act Justly, Love Mercy”: Sr Jeannine Gramick at Quest Conference

Keynote speaker at our annual Quest conference 2017, on the theme, “Act justly, Love Mercy”, was Sr Jeannine Grammick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry in the USA. Here follow some notes I made of her talk, interspersed with my personal response. Sr Jeannine began with a valuable quotation from St Theresa of Avila: “Trust God,…… Continue reading “Act Justly, Love Mercy”: Sr Jeannine Gramick at Quest Conference

Conference 2017 “Act Justly, Love Mercy”:Report

Earlier today, we left conference 2017 with joy in our hearts. In her concluding remarks at the end of the final Mass, our chair Ruby Almeida said that her observation of this year’s conference was that it had been marked by a great deal of joy. My discussions with other participants over coffee, waiting for…… Continue reading Conference 2017 “Act Justly, Love Mercy”:Report

Conference 2016: First Thoughts.

Conference 2016, “Feathers on the Breath of God”, is now over – and I’m starting to digest a wonderful weekend’s experience. Most obviously, attendance numbers were down on previous years and lower than we had wanted, but that was not a serious problem in the end. It was clear that those who did attend, found…… Continue reading Conference 2016: First Thoughts.