As the Director of Cara- Friend, an LGBT mental health organisation, it was with particular interest that I noted the recent letters of the Revd Andrew Rawding and the Revd Patrick Burke (Gazette, 8th and 22nd November). In May 2013, I gave a presentation to a well attended fringe meeting of the Church of Ireland General Synod in Armagh which discussed the particular evidence for Church influenced poor mental health amongst many LGBT people. [Continue Reading]
Bishop Colton Seeks Advice and Support of Lesbian and Gay People in ‘The Listening Process’ in Cork, Cloyne and Ross
26 November 2013
In a letter to the people of the Church of Ireland Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, written earlier this month, and to be published in the Diocesan Magazine next weekend, the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, requests lesbian and gay people, their friends and families, to advise him on how best to put in place ‘the listening process’ for the Diocese. [Continue Reading]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Suicide among gay people
8 November 2013
I attended the ‘Suicide Prevention and Pastoral Care’ seminar organised recently by the Irish Churches Peace Project in Londonderry. For the panel discussion, I asked how the Churches intended to prevent suicide among people who don’t feel accepted by Churches, like gay people. [Continue Reading]
Irish Times: Church of Ireland sectarianism row ‘no bad thing’ says former judge
28 October 2013
Former Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness has welcomed recent criticism of sectarianism within the Church of Ireland by Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough Michael Jackson. However, she said she had never heard the term “polyester Protestants” to describe those who were members of the church by conviction. [Continue Reading]
