This past weekend, amidst the nearly 500 attendees at Outreach 2026, there were four Sisters of Saint Joseph from three different congregations, one associate, a candidate, and a partner in mission as well as a number of people who had been taught by our sisters or encountered them in ministry contexts. There were moments of reunion, some new introductions, and promises to reconnect in the days to come.
It was a truly meaningful time of prayer, liturgy, learning, and fellowship as LGBTQ+ Catholics, ministers, and allies came together in Washington, DC at Georgetown University through the ministry that was begun by Fr. James Martin, SJ. Dori Costello, an Associate of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill/Philadelphia, remarked, “The sacred space of Outreach 2026 was a spiritually healing, holistic, healthy experience for the soul.”
Sr. Nancy Corcoran CSJ (Carondelet-STL) facilitated two sessions of a panel entitled “Celebrating the Transgender Experience” with Michael Sennett, Jamie Alarcon, Christine Zuba and Dee’s mother, Donna Beech. (See photo below.) In packed rooms, audiences appeared hungry to learn more about Catholic parishes that are comfortable with diverse gender experiences.
The Congregation of Saint Joseph representatives wore their “One Sacred Community” shirts and “Nuns for Pride” buttons, which received a lot of attention. Sr. Erin McDonald, CSJ shared, “The Outreach Gathering was a beautiful experience of “walking side by side” with each other, listening and learning from one another and of praying with the Living God in our midst. Our time together recentered Pope Leo’s call towards “unity within diversity,” and reminded me that my vocation as a Sister of St Joseph is one of unioning love, a call to be an agent of God’s great love.” (Sr. Erin is pictured below with Sr. Janet Fleischhacker, CSJ.)
Sr. Bethany Welch, SSJ, the JPIC Coordinator for the Federation, found many opportunities to hand out our “Beloved is Where We Begin” sticker, fruit of the LGBTQ+ Planning Group. Candidate Julia Erdlen, who helped with the sticker design and promotion, expressed that, “Outreach 2026 was a beautiful weekend of community building and dreaming towards a better future for our church and world.” (Julia and Sr. Bethany pictured below.)
You can find a full recap of the Outreach 2026 themes and sessions here.
And if you’d like your own symbol of belovedness to foster belonging, fill out the form here.
