‘Inclusive Communities: All are Beloved’

We are delighted to announce that we are taking bookings for this year’s Annual Conference.

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Conference Dates: Fri’ 17 to Sun’ 19 July 2026

At Luther King House, Brighton Grove (Off Wilmslow Road), Manchester, M14 5JP

The conference will explore:

What is Catholic Social Teaching? Is it relevant to LGBT+ Catholics who too often feel at the margins of our Church or feel pushed out completely?

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) calls us to consider our place within the Church and wider society, and to reflect on how our faith informs our actions and responsibilities. It addresses us as individuals and as a community, emphasising the dignity of every person, the importance of inclusion, and the need to stand in solidarity with those on the margins. CST asks us to engage deeply with our faith, to strive towards becoming more Christlike in our interactions, and to take up the call to minister at the margins. This involves both supporting others who may feel excluded or marginalised and examining ways in which we ourselves might inadvertently contribute to exclusion. Through CST, we are challenged to foster genuine inclusion, to show compassion, and to act justly, ensuring that all are recognised as beloved members of the Church.

This Conference will consider how CST speaks to us as LGBT+ Catholics and whether it offers any helpful guidance.

How this evolves from recent conferences

Over recent years conference themes have explored issues around the Synod, what it might mean for us, and what it might be calling us to be as “church”. We looked at our experience as LGBT+ Catholics, of finding ourselves at the margins of the church at times, the call to minister to others who find themselves at the margins and how we “walk together” as a church.

Speakers at these conferences have included Dr Nicky Burbach, looking at the synodal process from a trans perspective under the theme of “Walking Together”; Dr Claire Watkins and Chris Knowles, looking at “Accompaniment in a Synodal Church”; and Rev Jide Macauley and Jimmy Adekoya spoke on the theme of “Inclusive Communities” focusing particularly on experiences of faith in African communities and of those seeking asylum in the UK.

This year we want to go further and look at what underpins the call to us as LGBT+ Catholics to “minister at the margins”, to be “more inclusive”, through looking at catholic social teaching and how it supports and challenges us to explore our faith and social responsibilities: to be more Christ like.

Guest Speakers / Contributors:

Dr Nicolete Burbach

Dr Maria Exhall

Chaplain (to be confirmed)

The Venue

Quest returns to Luther King House in Manchester.

There is a bar on site, and regular coffee breaks.

We have a set number of rooms held for us and will have to renegotiate numbers as we go along if demand is greater than the number we have reserved.  Rooms will therefore be allocated on a first come, first served basis (the website registration form will timestamp your booking to ensure fairness). Book early and we may be able to extend the numbers if needs be, this is less likely the closer we get to the event.

Room shares are possible offering some discounted rates.

Other things you need to know:

  • The nearest train stations is Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Local transport is excellent and the venue reachble by taxi or bus from the city centre and train stations.
  • Plenty of free parking.
  • It is possible to book extra nights before or after the conference.
  • Accessibility – we have reserved two fully accessible rooms all other rooms are accessed via stairs.

Costs and Booking Information

More information about the packages and the costs for members booking at the early bird rate are available on the booking form.  These member rates range from £93 non-residential day rate for Saturday only (including lunch), to £289 for the full residential weekend. This year we also have  room sharing options.

To find out more then you need to start completing the form (you aren’t committing until you confirm at the end of the process):

  • You MUST click the relevant option under Quest Membership
  • The Accommodation Options and Package Prices relevant to membership status will then appear. Click the drop down box to see the options.

Members benefits (Early Bird rate): The members’ rate is discounted until the 31st March 2025. To join Quest, visit the relevant section of our website here.

Click to jump straight to the Booking Form. If you need a paper copy of the form email the conferences team conferences@questlgbti.uk telling us whether or not you are a Quest member.

You can find out about previous and future conferences here.

Though the finer detail of the timetable isn’t yet finalised the main event sessions will likely be on Saturday morning and after lunch followed by afternoon activities or free time, catch up with old friends or make some new. Further sessions on Sunday morning and immediately after lunch.

Bookings are not limited to Quest members or Catholics. Our inclusive liturgy is inspired by the morning and evening prayers of the Catholic faith and we will conclude the weekend with a Catholic Mass followed by tea and coffee before we depart around 4pm.

 

If you have questions then please email conferences@questlgbti.uk.

To book a place visit the Booking Form.