Diocese of Los Angeles Adopts Adoption Agency

Thanks to Episcopal Cafe for picking up this well-worth-re-telling story of Holy Family Adoption Agency and its good work here in Los Angeles:

The Huffington Post reports on the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and Bishop Jon Bruno helping an adoption agency when the Roman Catholic Church withdrew funding when the agency allowed same sex couples to adopt:

Community-based nonprofit organizations are struggling for their organizational lives these days. ... Maintaining one's donor base is supremely critical for any struggling nonprofit group.

Which is exactly why the recent story of a tiny organization named Holy Family Adoption Services in Los Angeles is pretty courageous.

Holy Family Adoption Services provides adoption, foster care, and family support services for infants and toddlers who are often born into very high-risk situations and require placement into a loving home. Since 1949, they have been helping these children whose mothers have been victimized themselves by family violence, or who suffer from addiction, or who are just ill-prepared for motherhood.
...
In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles made it clear that Holy Family would have to stop placing children with same-sex couples. Instead of giving in, the Holy Family Adoption Services board of directors ultimately decided that nothing was more important than providing loving and supportive homes for at-risk infants and children and that no otherwise qualified home should be closed to these children simply because of the gender and sexual orientation of the family members within it.

Enter Bishop Jon Bruno of the Episcopal Diocese. When Bishop Bruno learned of Holy Family's courage and fate, he invited the organization to be housed under the auspices of his church. This kept the organization alive.

Read the rest here ... and visit the Holy Family Services website to find out more about their great work and how you can support it!

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*headline credit goes to Tom Smarek, Jr. via his comment over at Episcopal Cafe! (Thanks, Tom!)

The Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool Wows West Hollywood in Christopher Street West Gay Pride Parade

LGBT Lutherans and Episcopalians joined together on the streets of West Hollywood this morning to celebrate Eucharist and then march in separate contingents in the 40th anniversary edition of the annual Gay Pride Parade. Lutheran Bishop Emeritus Paul Egertson presided at the street Eucharist and newly consecrated Episcopal Bishop Suffragan Mary Glasspool preached while approximately 75 congregants sang, prayed and received communion amidst the noise of motorcycles and amplified music from other nearby entries in the parade staging area.

Following the Eucharist, the groups then marched in the parade with the bishops riding in convertibles and greeting the enthusiastic crowd who recognized the Episcopal Church as being a leader in welcoming and affirming LGBT people in the life of the church. Applause and cheers met Mary Glasspool as she waved at the crowd while riding down Santa Monica Blvd. She later said, "That was so affirming! There was a lot of recognition - not so much of me as of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Los Angeles - people know how supportive our church has been of this community."

Some pictures from the day's celebration:

Los Angeles City Council Honors Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles for Contributions to the City's LGBT Community

As part of Councilmember Bill Rosendahl's celebration of Gay Pride month, the Los Angeles City Council honored Bishop J. Jon Bruno and diocesan leaders at its Friday 4 June meeting in council chambers. Bishop Bruno, Malcolm Boyd and Jack Plimpton each were asked to make brief remarks to the council while a gathering of diocesan LGBT leaders stood behind them at the podium. Each one present received a commendation from the council that reads:

On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, we are pleased to recognize your contributions to the City's LGBT community. Bishop Glasspool's ministry and the Diocese's 25+ years of LGBT ministries represent a collective commitment to justice and equality for LGBT Angelenos.

Presented by [signature] Bill Rosendahl, Councilmember, 11th District

Others in attendance included Mark Halahan and Vicki Mouradian (former chairs of the Bishop's Commission on Gay & Lesbian Ministry [BCGLM] - now the Program Group on LGBT Ministries), Michael Bell, Randy Kimmler, Mark Thompson (Malcolm Boyd's partner), Jim White and Bob Williams, as well as Joanna Satorius and Luis Garraban (both of the Diocesan staff).

Here are a couple of pictures I shot while we were there - I've asked Bob Williams to send me more that others may have taken. I'll post those if/when I receive them.

- Jim White

More Parade Info

Here is some more information on the Pride Parade, Sunday, June 13.

-- It is confirmed that the Episcopalians and the Lutherans will be marching next to each other, as both groups requested.

-- Our staging area is Romaine. After the Eucharist, marchers should meet our group on N. Crescent Heights Blvd, in the the block between Santa Monica Blvd. and Romaine St., no later than 10:30. Parade start time is 11:00. Here's a map of the area.

--The parade route is down Santa Monica Blvd., from N. Crescent Heights Blvd. to N. Robertson Blvd. At the end, the organizers will send the marchers south down Robertson and our car down another street. Everyone should proceed to the end (and not stall on San Vicente Blvd.).

-- Parking: the "permit only" parking restrictions will be lifted for the entire city of West Hollywood during Pride weekend. It is recommended that those going to the festival after the parade park in the Design Center parking lot (San Vicente Blvd. & Melrose Ave.). To those not attending the festival, organizers recommend parking toward the middle of the parade route and south of Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood city limits extend only a block or so north of Santa Monica. Parking north of that border will put you in Los Angeles, which is not lifting permit-only requirements.

--There will be three minutes of silence at exactly 12:00 p.m., to commemorate those who have gone before us. Horns and whistles will sound to signal its start and end. All attendees are asked to observe that time of silence.

-- We remind everyone that it is likely to be very hot and very sunny that day, and marchers will be in those conditions for four or five hours. Everyone should wear protective clothing, like hats, sunglasses, long-sleeve shirts and/or lots of sunscreen. They should also hydrate themselves well, even a day before the parade, and bring lots of water and snacks.

But most of all, have fun! It will be a fun and exciting day.

"MARCH WITH +MARY" @ L.A. PRIDE ■ June 13, 2010

[photo: Cynthia Black]

COME ONE, COME ALL! Celebrate a new era of mission and ministry in the Diocese of Los Angeles, incarnate the Good News of God for LGBT people along Santa Monica Blvd AND help introduce and welcome Bishop Mary Glasspool to Los Angeles!

MEET:
At 9:00 a.m., meet at the Bank of America parking lot on the corner of Santa Monica & Crescent Heights (8025 Santa Monica Blvd). Ushers will direct you to the site for the Eucharist, which will be a joint Lutheran/Episcopal service. [click here for map]

MAKE EUCHARIST:
STREET EUCHARIST at 9:30 a.m. -- Episcopal Bishop Mary Glasspool, preaching. Lutheran Bishop Paul Egerston, presiding.

MARCH:
The parade steps off at 11:00 A.M. and runs along Santa Monica Blvd. from Crescent Heights to Robertson Blvd. We will be marching in solidarity with our Lutheran colleagues as we give thanks for the work and witness we have been given to do together!

Bishops Egertson & Glasspool will be riding in the traditional parade convertibles, accompanied by Episcopalians & Lutherans from all over SoCal.

DON'T MISS THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE GOD'S LOVE TANGIBLE ALONG SANTA MONICA BLVD!

"Partners in Pride" T-SHIRTS celebrating our new Bishop and "The Episcopal Church welcomes YOU!" will be on sale Sunday morning from 9:00 to 12:00. We'll be selling them out the trunk of +Mary's car, so look for them there. Shirts are also available at many churches in the diocese before Pride weekend, and may be ordered any time by emaliing hoagluk@yahoo.com. The cost is $15 per shirt (and $5.00 per order, if sent by mail) -- checks payable to "Diocese of Los Angeles."

Visit our Pride Archives for photos from years past ... get out those walking shoes, dig out the sunscreeen and let's make this the BEST EVER TURN OUT for Dio L.A. @ L.A. Pride!

For more information on L.A. Pride, visit the CSW website.

Some FAQs:

When does the parade start? After the Eucharist, we will have about an hour for coffee, breakfast, and people watching, before we report back around 10:30–11 a.m. to the staging area assigned to our parade contingent.

What about parking? Try carpooling in two cars, and park one at the end of the parade route (somewhere in the vicinity of Robertson and Melrose) and then proceed to the Street Eucharist in the second car. If you only have one car, you may want to park it near the halfway point at La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd., and walk east and north to the street Eucharist location.

What should I wear? As we mentioned above, T-shirts will be on sale for $15.00 at the Eucharist site. Clergy encouraged to wear their clerical collars. Comfortable shoes, hats and sunscreen!

Bishop Senyonjo: 'God is not only for heterosexuals'

by Pat McCaughan, May 20, 2010

[Episcopal News Service] Retired Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Buganda has a simple, if dangerous message: "God is not only for heterosexuals … [if you are gay] accept yourself, love yourself."

Senyonjo, 78, recently kicked off a six-week speaking tour at St. Paul's Church, Pomona, in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to raise awareness about repressive anti-gay policies in Uganda, where lawmakers recently considered imposing a death penalty on gays.

He also called upon advocacy groups to network to help develop the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and other under-served communities in Uganda and to promote understanding and education.

The married grandfather of 11 has been compared to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Martin Luther King Jr. because of his outspoken gay rights activism. His advocacy was born of listening to the struggles of others, he said recently.

"The church should be on the side of those who suffer, who are persecuted and who have been misunderstood," he told about 75 people gathered at the May 11 forum in Pomona. "To me it is sad. Very often, people go to the Bible and read it the way they want to and say if you don't read the Bible this way you are out, an outcast. I know; because I've been there."

But, he added: "Christ came to bring justice and love. Culture is not static and Christ can transform culture," he said, noting "Christ's imperative was to love, not to hate your brother because he is different."

Find out more.

REJOICE!

Love this graphic, just posted to the Diocese of L.A. website in preparation for Saturday's consecrations!

You are invited ... join the celebration welcoming two new bishops suffragan!

Saturday, May 15
12:30 p.m. Gathering music
1:30 p.m. Liturgy begins

Long Beach Arena
300 East Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach

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