Pride Mass † June 29

Pride Mass † Wednesday, June 29 at 6 pm
Reception following the service with Happy Belly’s Italian Ice

Why a Pride Mass?
There has been a great deal of trauma dealt to the LGBT community because of the Church. In an effort to restore all people to union with God and each other in Christ, we believe we must explicitly name, welcome, and affirm those who are LGBT. It’s important that LGBT people are told that, far from being disappointed, God has given them unique gifts for the benefit of the Church and the world.

History of Pride Mass.
The very first Pride Mass was at St. Paul the Apostle (Roman Catholic) in Manhattan in 1993. That service erupted into chaos when shouting protestors injured the priest in an attempt to rip off his lapel mic. Since then, they have become more prevalent in The Episcopal Church. At this point, almost every diocese has at least one parish hosting a Pride Mass. Holy Cross was the first parish in this diocese to host such a service in June 2019.

Pride mass at Holy Cross.
Since the advent of the AIDS crisis, Holy Cross has marked itself as a parish deeply involved in the inclusion, protection, and affirmation of LGBT people. In the 1980s, Holy Cross was one of the few, if not the only, churches that would bury AIDS patients. Our members were instrumental in founding the Philadelphia Center and the Mercy Center, and we remain significant supporters to this day. Throughout our history, we have been a place of welcome to LGBT people in Shreveport. We were one of the first parishes to apply to do Same Sex Marriages during the trial period before its legalization. We were the first parish to elect an openly gay rector. We were the first parish to celebrate a Pride Mass. And while we are proud to be first, we are determined not to be the last