Our Stories
Why Remain Catholic?
Andy Buechel, December 2017 For Catholics who disagree with the magisterium on matters pertaining to LGBTQ persons, an important question will inevitably arise from time to time: “Why am I still Catholic, then?” This is a question that is addressed to us by others,...
A Privileged Ministry – Sr. Luisa Derouen
If anyone had told me that I would have the privilege of spending the last years of my ministerial life with transgender people I would never have believed it! God’s middle name is truly Surprise! I have a gay brother and a lesbian sister and have had gay and lesbian...
Finding Irene: “I am praying for everyone struggling with gender dysphoria, and praying for understanding from fellow Catholics and all people.”
I am a practicing Catholic, a frequent confessor and daily Mass attendee. I begin each morning in quiet prayer, seeking direction from the Holy Spirit to live out my mission in life. I attended grade school with Dominican sisters, and high school and college with...
Libby: On Being Transexual, An Unexpected Spiritual Journey
I grew up in a tough, lower middle class, blue collar neighborhood. I went to an all boys’ public elementary school (and CCD classes) until 6th grade and then transferred to Catholic schools for the 7th through 12th grades. I had very good parents, even from a...
Christine (she/her), “I have been very fortunate and very blessed.”
Pronouns: she/her/hersI have been very blessed and fortunate. For as long as I could remember, since about the age of 3 or 4, I felt different. As a child, I would go to bed every night praying I would wake up a girl (a story commonly echoed by many transgender...
Miriam: Stories of Faith and Transition
I am a Catholic Christian, 61 years old, transgender male-to-female, divorced by my wife who also succeeded in procuring an annulment. My ex-wife and 4 children now live a distance away. As a child, we were a nominally Catholic Christian household, my parents and 5...
Dani, through physical and spiritual struggle, faith has remained a constant.
My Catholic family quit going to Church when I was in early grade school. In high school, some follow Catholic students invited me to their Church, and when I went on a retreat, my spirit was reawakened. I saw the Holy Spirit work at that retreat, I felt the love of...
Sara talks of her love of music and of her God.
My music and religion are deeply intertwined within my soul. My life would have no meaning without music and without God, without spirit, without a daily soulful prayer to the Creator. As a young child I played piano, Mozart symphonies and other classics, with lessons...
Scotty relates the many facets of his life to his journey as a transgender catholic in “Scotty: Not Limelight, but Twilight”
Like many, I am a multifaceted person. One facet is photography, which has become a semi-professional hobby. The photos with the most character are taken in the moments of twilight, sunrises, sunsets, or not far from it. My other facets include being Catholic, an...
Colt Meier St. Amand ( he/ they ) is a clinical psychologist and Texas’ preeminent researcher on transgender issues. Just 30 years old, Colt’s findings informed the American Psychological Association’s first guidelines for the clinical care transgender patients. Colt’s work is just beginning.
Pronouns: he/theyColt Meier St. Amand is a clinical psychologist and Texas’s preeminent researcher on transgender issues. Just 30 years old, Colt was the first researcher in the country to demonstrate the psychological effects of testosterone therapy in trans men...
David talks about his transition from an early age and the impact of a Catholic Sister who ministered to him along the way in: “David Johnsrud: Not Going Away.”
My experience growing up with gender dysphoria is, I am sure, very similar to others of my generation. We did not talk about it, however. We were coerced into clothing that was wrong, had our mannerisms corrected, were dissuaded from engaging in play activities deemed...