Dignity Philadelphia
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Serving the LGBTQ+ Catholic Community in Philadelphia. Chapter of DignityUSA.
Dignity Statement of Position and Purpose
We believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics in our diversity are members of Christ's mystical body, numbered among the People of God. We have an inherent dignity because God created us, Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit sanctified us in Baptism, making us temples of the Spirit, and channels through which God's love becomes visible. Because of this, it is our right, our privilege, and our duty to live the sacramental life of the Church, so that we might become more powerful instruments of God's love working among all people. We believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons can express their sexuality in a manner that is consonant with Christ's teaching. We believe that we can express our sexuality physically, in a unitive manner that is loving, life-giving, and life-affirming. We believe that all sexuality should be exercised in an ethically responsible and unselfish way. DIGNITY is organized to unite gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, as well as our families, friends and loved ones in order to develop leadership, and be an instrument through which we may be heard by and promote reform in the Church. To be such an organization, we accept our responsibilities to the Church, to our Catholic heritage, to society, and to individual gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics. TO THE CHURCH: We work for the development of sexual theology leading to the reform of its teachings and practices regarding human sexuality, and for the acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender peoples as full and equal members of the one Christ. TO SOCIETY: We work for justice and equality through education and by supporting social and legal reforms. TO INDIVIDUAL GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER CATHOLICS: We reinforce their sense of self-acceptance and dignity and encourage full participation in the life of the Church and society. As members of Dignity, we promote causes of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics. We have five primary areas of concern and commitment:
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT: We strive to achieve Christian maturity through the sacraments, Scripture, prayer, an active love of neighbor as ourselves, and liturgical celebrations, especially the Mass. EDUCATION: We inform ourselves in all matters of faith and of interest to our communities, so that we may grow in maturity and may nurture fulfilling lives in which our sexuality and spirituality are integrated. SOCIAL JUSTICE: As Catholics and members of society, we involve ourselves in those actions that bring the love of Christ to others and provide the basis of social reform in the Church and society. We are actively involved with:
Individuals: We lead a life of service to ourselves and others, rendering visible the love of Christ and assisting in the creation of love centered communities. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Groups: We work with a variety of groups to seek justice for all persons and to promote a sense of solidarity within the communities. Religious and Secular Groups: We work with many groups and organizations so that their members might better understand gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and thus recognize and eliminate present injustices. Health Care: We work to promote equal access and justice in all areas of health care and healing. Women's Justice Issues: We strive to eradicate sexism and patriarchy in all areas of Church and secular life so that women are wholly included, accepted and welcome. EQUALITY ISSUES: We dedicate ourselves to develop the potential of all persons to become more fully human. To do this, we work toward the eradication of all constraints on our personhood based on the ascribed social roles of women and men and to promote inclusivity in all areas of liturgical and community life. SOCIAL EVENTS: We provide activities of a social and recreational nature in an atmosphere where friendships can develop and mature, and where our sense of self acceptance and dignity is affirmed.
October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Although this feast day was established by Pope Pius V in 1573, it was extended to the universal Church in 1716, by Pope Clement XI. In the 16th century, the rosary was developed to include 15 mysteries (5 joyful, 5 sorrowful, and 5 glorious). In 2002, Pope John Paul II added 5 luminous mysteries to the mix. Members of Dignity Philadelphia meet on the 3rd Sunday of the month to pray the rosary together.
It is also the Feast of Saint Justina, the Feast of Saint Osyth, the Feast of Saint Mark (Pope) and the Feast of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, who were in the military and were forced to walk the streets in women's clothing as "punishment" for being Christians. As such, they became unofficial patron saints of gay men. Because the church did not to encourage the imagery of 2 men walking around in drag, their Feast Day was removed from the Calendar of Saints, but it shows up without the story on the Vatican's website.
it is also the Feast Day for the following saints and holy people:
Adalgis of Novara
Augustus of Bourges
Canog ap Brychan
Dubtach of Armagh
Gerold of Cologne
Helanus
Jean Hunot
Julia the Martyr
Libaire the Great
Martin Cid
Palladius of Saintes
Rigaldo
8 Martyrs of Arima (all beati)
5 Mercedarian Nuns of Seville (all beati)
Apuleius, Marcellus, Quarto (Martyred in Capua)
Ángel Cuartas Cristóbal, Cesar Gonzalo Zurro Fanjul, Jesús Prieto López, José Llosá Balaguer, José María Fernández Muñoz; Juan Castañón Fernández, Mariano Suárez Fernández (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Henrik Friessem
Sibrand Leo
Anastasius of Milan
Libaire the Great
October 6th is the Feast of Saint Bruno of Calabria. It is also the Feast of Saint Faith of Agen. It is the Feast of St. Mary of the Five Wounds (which was not a music group in the early 60's). It is the Feast of the Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, who died on her birthday.
It is also the feast day for the following saints and holy people:
Adalbero of Lambach
Alberta of Agen
Artaldo of Belley
Aurea of Boves
Ceollach
Epiphania
Erotis
Francis Trung Von Tran
François Hunot
Isidore of Saint Joseph
Iwi
John Xenos
Juan de Prunera
Magnus of Orderzo
Pardulf
Renato of Sorrento
Romanus of Auxerre
Sagar of Laodicea
4 Martyrs of Capua
52 Martyrs of Kyoto (all beati)
Josep Lluis Raga Nadal and Plàcid Fàbrega Julià (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Alessandro da Ceva
Bartus of Vaison
Chiara Builia
10/05/2026
October 5th is the Feast of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. For more info, click on this link: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/10/05/st--faustina-kowalska.html
It is the Feast of Francis Xavier Seelos. It is the Feast of Saints Placidus and Maurus and the Feast of Saint Flora of Beaulieu.
It is also the Feast Day for the following saints and holy people:
Alberto Marvelli
Alexander of Trier
Anna Schaeffer
Apollinaris of Valence
Attilanus of Zamora
Aurea of Amiens
Aymard of Cluny
Bartholomew Longo
Boniface of Trier
Charitina of Amasa
Divitianus of Soissons
Eliano of Cagliari
Euphrasia of San Michele
Faustina Kowalska
Firmatus of Auxerre
Flaviana of Auxerre
Froilan of Leon
Gallo of Aosta
Giacomo Donzelli
Jerome of Nevers
Magdalveus of Verdun
Mamlacha
Marcellinus of Ravenna
Marian Skrzypczak
Matthew Carreri
Meinulph
Palmatius of Trier
Peter of Imola
Raymond of Capua
Sante of Cori
Tranquilino Ubiarco Robles
Tullia
The 30 Martyrs of Messina
The Martyrs of Trier
John Hewett, Robert Sutton, William Hartley (Martyred in England)
Eloy Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Eugenio Andrés Amo, Jesús Delgado De La Fuente, Rafael Alcocer Martínez, Sebastià Segarra Barberá (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Giovanni Battista del Santissimo Sacramento
Madalveus of Verdun
Mark of Bologna
St. Faustina Kowalska - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News See Vatican News to discover the life-story and message of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Saint of the Day 5 October
Tonight, Dignity Philadelphia will be holding its weekly in-person liturgy at 7 pm in the lower level of St. Luke and the Epiphany Church on 13th Street in Center City.
At the present time, the Chapter has decided that mask wearing is optional during the service.
Please remember that we no longer have the use of the parking lot next to St. Luke's. So, if you are not taking public transportation, you will need to look for street parking or an area parking lot.
10/04/2026
October 4th is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is also the Feast of the lesser known Saint Petronius.
For more info about St. Francis, please go to this link: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/10/04/st--francis-of-assisi--founder-of-the-franciscan--order--patron-.html
It is also the feast day for the following saints and holy people:
Adauctus of Ephesus
Alfonso Tabela
Ammon the Great
Aurea
Berenice
Caius of Corinth
Callisthene of Ephesus
Crispus of Corinth
Damaris of Athens
Diogenes of Milan
Domnina
Hierotheus
Julian Majali
Lucius of Alexandria
Peter of Damascus
Prosdoce
Quintius of Tours
Tommaso of Celano
The Martyrs of Alexandria (2 sets)
The 3 Martyrs of Antioch
Alfredo Pellicer Muñoz, Avelí Martínez de Arenzana Candela, Dionisio Ibáñez López, Enrique Morant Pellicer, Francisco Álvarez Baena, Francisco Martínez Granero, Fulgencio Martínez García, José Ruiz Berruezo, José Aloy Doménech, José Canet Ginet, José Gafo Muñiz, José Miguel Peñarroya Dolz, José Ruiz Berruezo, Juan de Francisco Pío, Juan José Orayen Aizcorbe, Martina Vázquez Gordo, Publio Fernández González, Tomás Barrios Pérez (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Dionysius Exiguus
Finan of Teach Oirthir
Franciscus Gim Jong-gyo
Fulgencio Martínez García
Philippus Hong Pil-ju
Polychronius
Robert Picavet
St. Francis of Assisi, Founder of the Franciscan Order, Patron of Italy - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News See Vatican News to discover the life-story and message of St. Francis of Assisi, Founder of the Franciscan Order, Patron of Italy, the Saint of the Day 4 October
Dignity Philadelphia will be holding its weekly in-person liturgy on Sunday at 7 pm in the lower level of St. Luke and the Epiphany Church on 13th Street in Center City.
At the present time, the Chapter has decided that mask wearing is optional during the service.
Please remember that we no longer have the use of the parking lot next to St. Luke's. So, if you are not taking public transportation, you will need to look for street parking or an area parking lot.
October 3rd is the Feast of Saint Candida. It is the Feast of Saint Gerard of Brogne. It is the Feast of Saints Ewald the Dark (aka Ewald the Black) and Ewald the Fair. It is the Feast of Saint Thomas Cantelupe. It is also the Feast of Saint Theodora Guerin, who once told the other sisters in her Order, "With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?"
It is also the feast of the following saints and holy people:
Miracle of Ocotlán
Adalgott of Chur
Agostina of the Assumption
Benedetto of Como
Cyprian of Toulon
Damian de Portu
Desiderio Franco
Dionysius the Aeropagite
Edmund of Scotland
Giuliano Mayali
Hesychius
Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve
Juan Tapia
Maddalena the Greater
Maximian of Bagaia
Menna
Odilone of Stavelot-Malamédy
Szilárd István Bogdánffy
Theodore Guerin
Utto of Metten
Virila
Widradus
9 Martyrs of Alexandria
30 Martyrs of Brazil
Crescencio García Pobo, Eleuterio Castillo Gómez, José María González Solís, José María Poyatos-Ruiz, Manuel Lucas Ibañez, Raimundo Joaquín Castaño González (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Abd al Misah
Bartolomeo Conill
Emanuel Rodrigues of Moura
Jesús Emilio Jaramillo-Monsalve
Leudomir of Limoges
October 2nd is the Feast of Saint Leger. It is also the Feast of the Guardian Angels.
It is also the feast for the following saints and other holy people:
Alfonso del Rio
Andrea Ximenez
Antoine Chevrier
Beregisius
Bonaventura Relli
Dagamondo of Condat
Eleutherius of Nicomedia
Emilie de Villeneuve
Georges-Edme René
Gerinus of Autun
Jan Beyzym
Leodegarius of Autun
Leudomer
Maria Antonina Kratochwil
Modesto of Sardinia
Saturius of Soria
Theophilus of Bulgaria
Ursicinus II
Cyril of Antioch, Primus of Antioch, Secundarius of Antioch (Martyred in Antioch, Syria)
Andreas Yakichi, Franciscus Yakichi, Lucia Yakichi, Ludovicus Yakichi (Martyred in Japan)
Acisclo Juan Carmona López, Antonio Fuentes Ballesteros, Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, Elías Carbonell Molla, Enrique Sáiz-Aparicio, Felipe González de Heredia Barahona, Francisco Carceller Galindo, Isidoro Bover Oliver, José Fuentes Ballesteros, Juan Carbonell Molla, Juan Iñiguez de Ciriano Abechuco, Manuel Arenas Castro, Manuel Borrajo Míguez, Manuel Ruiz Caballero, María Francisca Ricart Olmos, Mateu Garrolera Masferrer, Miguel Arenas Castro, Pedro Artolozaga Mellique (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Bernard of Mandello del Lario
Constantine Mkheidze
David Mkheidze
Diateria
Edmund Maclot
Francisco Carceller Galindo
Serenus of Metz
10/01/2026
October 1st is the Feast of Saint Remi. It is also the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux (aka Therese of the Child Jesus aka "the Little Flower"), patron of AIDS victims. (among other things). In 1997 Therese was named by Pope John Paul II as a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be bestowed such an honor. Lastly, it is also the Feast of Saints Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin, the parents of Saint Therese, who were canonized in 2015.
It is also the birthdays of Henry C, and Father Ron Hoskins, renowned celebrant of Dignity Philadelphia, both of whom are no longer with us.
Please keep these individuals in your prayers today.
For more information about the Little Flower, please follow this link: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/10/01/st--therese-of-the-child-jesus--carmelite---virgin-doctor-of-the.html
It is also the Feast Day for the following saints and holy people:
Holy Protection of the Mother of God
Abram of Bavaria
Aizan of Abyssinia
Antoni Rewera
Aretas of Rome
Bavo of Ghent
Cecilia Eusepi
Dominic of Villanova
Fidharleus
Juan de Palafox Mendoza
Luigi Maria Monti
Nicetius of Trier
Piaton of Tournai
Romanos the Melodist
Sazan of Abyssinia
Wasnulf
Crescens, Evagrius, Priscus (Martyred in Tomi)
Christopher Buxton, Edward Campion, Edward James, John Robinson, Ralph Crockett, Robert Widmerpool, Robert Wilcox (Martyred in England)
Diego Botello and Ferdinando di Salcedo (Martyred on Hispaniola)
Andrew Sushinda, Gaspar Fisogiro (Martyrs in Japan)
Julia, Maxima, Verissimus (Martyred in Lisbon)
Álvaro Sanjuán Canet, Carmelo Juan Pérez Rodríguez, Florencia Caerols Martínez, Higinio Mata Díez, Juan Mata Díez (Martyred in the Spanish Civil War)
Sinchell of Moville
St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Carmelite, Virgin Doctor of the Church, Patron of the Missions - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News See Vatican News to discover the life-story and message of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Carmelite, Virgin Doctor of the Church, Patron of the Missions, the Saint of the Day 1 October
September 30th is the Feast of Saint Jerome. It is the Feast of Saint Simeon, Earl of Crepy (not a typo). It is the Feast of St. Francis Borgia. It is also the Feast of Saint Sophia (who may have also had a feast day earlier this month).
It is also the feast day for the following saints and holy people:
Our Lady of Loreto of Forno
Amatus of Nusco
Antoninus of Piacenza
Castus of Piacenza
Colman of Clontibret
Conrad of Urach
Desiderius of Piacenza
Druttanus of Le Puy
Enghenedl of Anglesey
Eusebia of Marseilles
Felicia Meda
Frederick Albert
Gregory the Illuminator
Honoratus of Canterbury
Ismidone of Die
Jean-Nicolas Cordier
Laurus
Leopardus the Slave
Midan of Anglesey
Ursus the Theban
Victor the Theban
and the Martyrs of Valsery Abbey
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