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Current News
8/5 UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING DETROIT
Dear Friends,
In the spirit of transparency regarding why the Detroit group was required to cease using the name Fortunate Families, we share a relevant portion of the contents of a letter we sent to Mrs. Linda Karle-Nelson, facilitator of the Detroit group on 28 June 2020.
JR Zerkowski, Executive Director
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"To facilitate opening doors, Fortunate Families, Inc. by unanimous decision of its Board, would like to support Fortunate Families Detroit and work for outcomes that will be both meaningful and lasting. Because Fortunate Families Detroit bears our name, we would require that Fortunate Families, Inc. be the arbitrator and sole spokesperson for addressing this current challenge. We would make the following formal statement on behalf of Fortunate Families Detroit and Fortunate Families, Inc.
'Despite being forbidden to meet on Catholic property or within the Archdiocese of Detroit by order of Archbishop Allen Vigneron as communicated by auxiliary Bishop Gerard Battersby, those who are Fortunate Families Detroit remain members of the Roman Catholic Church by virtue of their baptism and will continue to meet with and minister among Catholic LGBTQ+ persons and their families and friends - indeed, anyone who takes seriously Catholic Social Teaching, within the geographic area of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Fortunate Families Detroit affirms their love and respect for the Roman Catholic Church and in the spirit of Pope Francis intends to build the culture of encounter, working tirelessly to uphold and celebrate fully the baptismal dignity of LGBTQ+ persons within the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Fortunate Families Detroit is a ministry comprised of Catholics who support the LGBTQ+ community and their families, promoting a culture within the Roman Catholic Church that treats LGBTQ+ persons with "respect, compassion and sensitivity” as the Catechism instructs.'
After releasing this statement together with the Fortunate Families, Inc. Foundational Statement, Fortunate Families, Inc. would then be the sole spokesperson for Fortunate Families Detroit. Should anyone from the Fortunate Families Detroit ministry ever speak about the current issues in any public forum or with any person from the media, they must make it perfectly clear – beyond any doubt - they are speaking solely as a Catholic person and member of the Archdiocese of Detroit and not representing Fortunate Families.
If Fortunate Families Detroit agrees to this approach we will support and work to achieve the outcomes the leadership team of Fortunate Families Detroit have articulated. Because Fortunate Families Detroit uses the name of the national ministry it is imperative that there is accountability to the national Board.
Should Fortunate Families Detroit choose to move forward by issuing any statement, approach the media to discuss the present challenge, or write to the archdiocesan leaders using the Fortunate Families name, then we must make a public distinction between Fortunate Families Detroit and Fortunate Families, Inc., and we would require that Fortunate Families Detroit immediately discontinue using the Fortunate Families name. Fortunate Families, Inc. would immediately clarify the situation by releasing the following statement.
'The group formerly known as Fortunate Families Detroit has discerned to move forward with their own method of approaching the present challenges with the leadership of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Unfortunately, their method is inconsistent with the approach of Fortunate Families, Inc.
The group formerly known as Fortunate Family Detroit has been instructed to delete “Fortunate Families” from its name and is no longer affiliated with Fortunate Families, Inc., a Catholic Family, Friends & Allies Ministry, supporting LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers by facilitating respectful conversation with bishops, pastors and Church leadership, through sharing personal stories and by working to establish intentional Catholic LGBTQ+ Ministry Sites in dioceses, parishes, educational institutions, and communities.
Fortunate Families, Inc. remains committed to engaging in our ministry within the Archdiocese of Detroit and supporting LGBTQ+ persons, their families and friends.'
To be clear, Fortunate Families, Inc. desires to support Fortunate Families Detroit and work for the restoration of a mutually respectful relationship between your ministry and the Archdiocese of Detroit. This process will necessitate patience, prudence, prayer, trust and cooperation from the leadership and members of Fortunate Families Detroit. We remind you that our Foundational Statement distills your hopes and frames it within the context of the magisterial teachings. If you commit to following our approach, we commit ourselves to working for restorative justice on your behalf.
Please advise us, in writing, by return email, of your intentions. Please call me if you have any concerns about this way of proceeding, which we feel is the most prudent.
Finally, know that we share the hurt and grief, anger and sadness, that you experience in this unfortunate situation. We have hope, however, that the miraculous can and will happen if we walk together with grace and wisdom, and with patience and trust.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe group formerly known as Fortunate Families Detroit has discerned to move forward with their own method of approaching the present challenges with the leadership of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Unfortunately, their method is inconsistent with the approach of Fortunate Families, Inc.
The group formerly known as Fortunate Family Detroit has been instructed to delete “Fortunate Families” from its name and is no longer affiliated with Fortunate Families, Inc., a Catholic Family, Friends & Allies Ministry, supporting LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers by facilitating respectful conversation with bishops, pastors and Church leadership, through sharing personal stories and by working to establish intentional Catholic LGBTQ+ Ministry Sites in dioceses, parishes, educational institutions, and communities.Fortunate Families, Inc. remains committed to engaging in our ministry within the Archdiocese of Detroit and supporting LGBTQ+ persons, their families and friends.
EVANGELIZATION MINISTRY READING LIST
This is a basic reading list for LGBTQ+ persons, families, friends,
and for those who minister with them.
Their being listed does not necessarily mean
that Fortunate Families agrees with all of the views presented in these materials.
Click here to access Reading List
CHRISTINE ZUBA
ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Fortunate Families is delighted to announce the election of Ms. Christine Zuba to the Board of Directors.
Christine Zuba lives in Blackwood, New Jersey, near Philadelphia. She received her BS in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, and an MBA from Rutgers University. Christine is employed as a television and radio broadcast equipment sales manager to both regional and national networks. Christine is a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) and the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE).
A lifelong Catholic born and raised in northeastern Pennsylvania, Christine has lived in southern New Jersey for over 30 years. Christine has two grown children, a daughter and son..
Christine has been a longtime parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Turnersville. As a Transgender Catholic she serves as a facilitator of her parish LGBTQ ministry, Together in Prayer. Christine is also a Eucharistic Minister, and a member of the hospitality committee. Christine also participates in other ministries such as Out Catholics of Philadelphia, One In the Spirit (Marlton, NJ), and in the NJ-PA Consortium of Welcoming Parishes, a group of similar ministries across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Fr. James Martin, SJ,
Honorary Board Member
We are honored to announce that Fr. James Martin, SJ, has accepted our invitation to become the first Honorary Member of the Fortunate Families Board of Directors. His prophetic ministry is a gift to our ministry and to the church.
Fr. Martin, accepting our invitation, said "I'm honored to be part of a ministry that has helped so many Catholic families over the years. Please join me in prayer for all the families with LGBT members who have been ministered to by Fortunate Families."
Our New Logo!
READ OUR LATEST
OCTOBER 2019 NEWSLETTER
THIS LINK!
https://conta.cc/2pFB0EO
February 2019
WELCOME to our NEW Board MembersANITA CAPILLO (KY)
BETTY DIRR (OH)
DEACON STEVE HESTER (RI)
JANICE SCHWEGMANN (KY)
FR. MARIO SERRANO, OFM CONV. (TX)
JASON STEIDL (NY)
LETTER TO CARDINAL DANIEL DINARDO,
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Click here to read the letter
(As of 15 February 2019, Fortunate Families has not received a response nor acknowledgement from Cardinal DiNardo nor anyone associated with the USCCB. Our letter was sent overnight with signature required.)
WELCOME OUR NEWEST EPISCOPAL ADVISORWe are delighted to announce that Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
has become an Episcopal Advisor to the Executive Director of Fortunate Families.
His prophetic voice and ministry is a gift to the Church.
Welcome Bishop Gumbleton!
Dear sisters and brothers,
Building the culture of encounter together, we begin with prayer. Please join me in praying every day, "God, make my heart like yours. Help me love like you love." And, let's pray daily for our church leaders, too - pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons and lay - "God, make their hearts like yours. Help them love like you love."
Rooted in prayer, trusting in the Spirit, and working together, we'll soon be standing in awe at the miraculous and wonderful things God will accomplish.
Our LGBT+ sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, have a place in the Church. Their dignity as Children of God must be safeguarded and celebrated. Their call to ministry, issued at baptism, must be acknowleged, discerned and respected. It is up to you and me to facilitate conversations and help create the culture of encounter.
Fortunate Families' mission calls us to dialogue so that respect, compassion, justice and sensitivity for every LGBT sister and brother - and every sister and brother - become the hallmarks of our dioceses and churches.
We are living in an exciting time in the Church's history; the dialogue already begun is lifegiving, if difficult; the Spirit's movement is palpable. To move forward, we must be respectful, loving and kind when we tell our stories and in our discussion; we must presume goodwill even when words sting or downright hurt us. We must not react, but pray every single day, "God, make my heart like yours. Help me love like you love."
It is our duty, our sacred obligation,to pray for our church leadership. For them we pray, "God make their hearts like your heart. Help them love like you love." If this one prayer, alone, is answered, then hearts will be tranformed and all will be miraculously well. We don't need to pray for anything else. If we all learn to love like God loves, it will be heaven. May it be so.
When you pray, pray for me, too. And, please, consider supporting us financially, so that this ministry can continue and grow.
Your brother,
Stanley Francis "JR" Zerkowski
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