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Mission Statement
Fortunate Families, a Catholic Family, Friends & Allies Ministry, supports 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.
Through accompaniment and bridge-building we seek to celebrate and safeguard the dignity of LGBTQ+ children of God.
History Highlights1992
March Eight religious and lay ministers, including Casey & Mary Ellen Lopata, parents of a gay son, from Rochester, NY begins meeting regularly and eventually becomes Catholic Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry (CGLFM).
November CGLFM facilitates a meeting of Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark and gay and lesbian Catholics and their family members to discuss the 1992 Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith letter, “Responding to Legislative Proposals on Discrimination Against Homosexuals.”1994
July National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian & Gay Ministries (NACDLGM) (Now: Catholic Association of Lesbian and Gay Ministries -CALGM) is founded at a meeting of representatives from thirteen dioceses. The Lopatas are among the 28 founding members. In 1995 Mary Ellen Lopata is elected to the first board of directors, serves on the executive committee from 1997-2003 and as president 2001-2. Since 1998,Casey has served on the Pastoral Resources Committee.
October The Lopatas attend and become charter members of the Catholic Parents Network.
December The first issue of the CGLFM Newsletter is published by Casey Lopata.1995-1996
The Lopatas are consulters to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Marriage and the Family on Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children –AND—Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers, issued in September 1997.1998
September The Lopata's chair the annual NACDLGM conference. Held in Rochester, the theme is “Imaging Justice.”2001
July Seeds of Hope: Compassionate Ministry with Gay and Lesbian Catholics and Their Families—A practical resource manual published. Edited by Casey Lopata.2002
August More Seeds: A supplement to Seeds of Hope published. Edited by Casey Lopata.2003
October Fortunate Families: Catholic Families with Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons, by Mary Ellen Lopata with Casey Lopata, published. (Trafford Publishing)2004
April The Lopata's leave CGLFM and start Fortunate Families
December Fortunate Families becomes a not-for-profit corporation.2005
January Fortunate Families adopts by-laws and elects its first board of directors: Mary Ellen Lopata (President), Tom Ferrarese (Secretary/Treasurer), James Buckheit, Jean Kearse, Casey Lopata, William Pickett, and Rosalie Muschal-Reinhardt.
May Fortunate Families, Inc. files 501(c) (3) application.2006
February Received 501(c)(3) exempt ruling from IRS.
July Parents Voice Project launches a survey of Catholic parents of LGBT Daughters and Sons.2007
September Parents Voice Project Survey Report of Catholic Parents is sent to all U.S. Bishops.2008
November Fortunate Families is awarded a grant from the School Sisters of Notre Dame to help fund educational forums on LGBT journeys in faith.
January Fortunate Families introduces Listening Parents Network, a group of Catholic parents of LGBT children who field phone calls and e-mail messages from other Catholic parents who may be struggling and “just need someone to talk with” in a safe and confidential way.
April Fortunate Families celebrates its 5th anniversary.
September Mary Ellen Lopata resigns as prsident of the board.2014
June The Lopatas retire from the Fortunate Families Board of Directors.
2017October Stan "JR" Zerkowski is hired as first Executive Dorector
WE HAVE SUSPENDED OUR HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS because militant groups have used information found here to harass and promote misinformation - stating things that are patently untrue to undermine and cause chaos.
Vision Statement (click here)