Cardinal Wilton Gregory speaks to EWTN News Nightly on April 11, 2024. / Credit: EWTN News Nightly
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 7, 2024 / 16:08 pm (CNA).
Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., speaking at the “Outreach” Conference for Catholics who identify as LGBTQ, stressed the need for unity in what he called “an extraordinary if not risky moment for our Church and country.”
In his homily, Gregory said that “the presence and the pastoral needs of our LGBTQ sisters and brothers may often be viewed as a volatile topic, but they must be faced with sincerity and genuine compassion.”
He shared his hopes that the conference would advance the goal of making the Church and the nation “stronger, holier, and more welcoming.”
According to the conference website, Outreach “gathers LGBTQ laypeople, clergy, scholars, artists, educators, students, and family members to build community, share best practices, and worship together.”
The conference is organized by Outreach, a Catholic LGBTQ resource group founded by Jesuit priest and theologian Father James Martin.
This year the conference took place Aug. 2–4 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The event included several talks, panel discussions, times for prayer, and social events. Topics included “parenting LGBTQ children,” “transgender Catholics and the Church,” “the Bible and homosexuality,” and “gifts of a life of chastity.”
By presiding over the Saturday Mass in Georgetown’s Dahlgren Chapel, Gregory became the first cardinal to participate in the conference.
During his homily, he emphasized that the Church and nation are at a critical moment, one that demands open dialogue.
“Our national unity needs constant attention as does the unity of our Church. Unity does not mean uniformity or sameness of opinion in heart and mind,” he clarified. “There is a word that we frequently use to describe the spiritual connectedness that must be the goal of our Catholic Church: communion.”
The cardinal praised conference attendees for being “dedicated to the pursuit of our becoming a more inclusive family of faith, welcoming others in spite of our differences.”
He said that such a pursuit is an “act of synodality” and that “sincerely and openly speaking and listening to one another under the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit is the way that the Church grows in perfection.”
He expressed concern for the state of the Church and nation, decrying what he called an “increase in violence, the forfeiture of civility in public discourse, the disavowal of once well-known hallowed values.”
“You have gathered in the Archdiocese of Washington for your scheduled Outreach assembly at an extraordinary, if not risky, moment for our Church and country,” Gregory told conference attendees.
“The challenges that either one of these two illustrious institutions might offer us would provide more than ample reasons for our current angst and perhaps even distress,” he said. “Unity remains an elusive enterprise. Our national unity needs constant attention, as does the unity of our Church.”
While noting that “we may find it difficult as Catholics and as Americans to achieve such a state of being together harmoniously,” Gregory concluded his sermon by saying: “I pray that this conference advance that goal and make us a stronger, holier, and more welcoming Church and nation.”
Pope Francis also expressed spiritual closeness to the conference, saying in a July 11 note to Martin that he was “glad” that Gregory would celebrate the opening Mass.
“I will be spiritually with him and with all of you, united in prayer,” Francis said. “May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin care for you.”
The Archdiocese of Washington declined to comment further on the conference and Gregory’s participation.
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Legatus President Stephen Henley is pictured here speaking at the organization’s 2025 annual conference last month in Naples, Florida. / Credit: Courtesy of Legatus
Miami, Fla., Mar 13, 2025 / 07:20 am (CNA).
In today’s culture, often hostile to expressions of faith, many Catholics struggle with how to hold true to their values within the workplace. That’s why, in 1987, Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan started the Catholic organization Legatus.
From the Latin word for “ambassador,” Legatus aims to empower Catholic presidents, CEOs, and managing partners to become what St. Paul coined “ambassadors for Christ,” explained Stephen Henley, president of Legatus.
Offering peer support groups, networking, speakers, pilgrimages, and an annual international summit, Legatus’s goal is to “inspire members to live out their faith in all aspects of their life.” There are currently about 90 Legatus chapters in North America.
Chapter meetings are held once a month, providing the opportunity for members and their spouses to participate in confession and Mass, the recitation of the rosary, a cocktail reception dinner, and a speaker’s presentation.
“All of this is to help fortify the members’ marriage, the peer support group, the networking of this group, and then embolden them to go out and live their faith,” said Henley. “Tom felt that if we can bring together these Catholic CEOs, how much more can we change society with these people that have high impact and high influence?”
In interviews with Catholic News Agency, Hawkins, Dean Abela, and Henley covered three tips for bringing the Catholic worldview into the workplace.
Commit to your priorities
Dean Andrew Abela’s Catholic faith wasn’t always as important to him as it is now. As a teenager, he even stopped practicing.
“I came back in my mid-20s, funnily enough, while I was in business school,” he recalled. As a student in 1991, he encountered Pope John Paul II’s new encyclical letter Centesimus Annus, and the pope’s reflection on economics changed the trajectory of his life.
“Just a few months after, I returned to the Church,” he said. “When I reverted to the faith, I wanted to know what my newly rediscovered Catholic faith meant for a life in business.”
Andrew Abela is dean of the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America. Credit: Legatus
After working for companies including Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and the Corporate Executive Board, in 2002 Dean Abela eventually began teaching at the Catholic University of America. He is also a consultant to Fortune 100 corporations.
“The reason I left business and switched to academia was that I wanted to dedicate myself full-time to studying questions about what it means to be a faithful Catholic in the workplace,” he explained.
A member of Legatus since 2000, Dean Abela mentioned that members can follow what the organization terms a “spiritual plan” to attend daily Mass, recite the rosary daily, and do monthly confession.
Known as Tres Magna, or the “Big Three,” this plan was inspired by Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, who “attributed the perfect season to him going to daily Mass,” explained Stephen Henley. “Tom [Monaghan] thought, well, if he can go, there’s no reason why I can’t go.”
“Daily Mass, daily rosary, and monthly confession will align your life and priorities,” added Henley.
Find a supportive community
When Kristan Hawkins first encountered Legatus, she was not a Catholic. Hawkins was raised an Evangelical. After Students for Life’s 2006 launch, she began speaking at Legatus events.
In 2014, Hawkins decided to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, “a pilgrimage Legatus had sponsored.” “I was the only Protestant there,” she recalled. “I decided there that I was going to enter RCIA.”
She became a full-fledged member of Legatus soon after becoming Catholic.
“As a pro-life activist who starts a pro-life organization, I want to save babies, I want to end abortion, I want to help as many families and women. You don’t start a non-profit because you’re necessarily a great business leader or have all these skills. You started this non-profit, this mission, because you want to see this mission accomplished,” Hawkins said. “For me, that’s one of the powerful benefits of being in Legatus, is having friends and mentors who were successful in the for-profit world who I can call on and ask questions.”
Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins. Credit: Legatus
“It’s very powerful and important to have those relationships. For me, in the work I’m doing, it’s a constant spiritual attack,” she added. “One of the best things about Legatus is I can call any of my Legatus friends at any moment, and they’ll be there for you. They know the power of the work we do and the resistance we face.”
Dean Abela also finds a sense of community in Legatus and also strives to build a supportive Catholic community at the Catholic University of America.
“We share with students the principles of Catholic social doctrine, things like human dignity and solidarity, and try to embed these principles into all of our classes,” he explained. “We’re also increasingly trying to give them opportunities to practice different virtues as part of their studies and schoolwork.”
For instance, Dean Abela explained, “To teach graduate students about decision-making, we go through a couple of survivor simulations, where you crash land in the north of Canada and you have to decide what you’re going to do. We have them go through decision-making exercises explicitly practicing the virtue of prudence or practical wisdom, the habit of making wise decisions. We break apart the components of practical wisdom, which include things like alertness, preparedness, and reasoning, and we have them try to exercise those as part of the decision-making process.”
These skills built in the classroom can be applied not only in business, but also in students’ personal lives.
Model the behavior you expect from others and celebrate your co-workers’ integrity
For Henley, giving authentic witness to the Catholic faith in the workplace can start with a simple “hello.”
“First, live the golden rule,” he said. “When you’re walking down the hall, say hello to the janitor, to the executive, and to everyone in between. It matters a lot.”
He added: “Another practical thing: take the opportunity to pray before meals. If you’re going on business lunches, you’ll be surprised at how many people say, ‘Yeah of course, let’s pray.’ It’s more common than not for people to pray before meals. The fact that you’re doing it shows that you’re a bold leader and that you’re spiritual.”
Dean Abela agrees that these types of habits make all the difference, and were the subject of the presentation he made of his book Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life last month during the 2025 Legatus Summit.
“The main focus of the book is understanding that things like diligence, honesty, and resilience are not genetic characteristics. They are habits that anyone can acquire through practice,” Dean Abela explained. “Companies can focus on one of the most important virtues and give employees opportunities to practice those virtues.”
For instance, Dean Abela explained the GrowVirtue App, an AI-driven app “based on the work of the book,” which organizations can use to evaluate which virtues their company has already made a habit of, which virtues they might target, and tips for how to make progress.
“The important thing is that the company would choose a virtue that they think would be directly beneficial to the company right now,” said Dean Abela. “Although personal results are private, the whole company can see what employees as a whole are weakest in. So, if you’re trying to grow in customer service, you might encourage the virtue of friendship or friendliness.”
Dean Abela discussed the value of recognizing virtue both inside and outside the company.
“See examples in action or read about examples,” he suggested. “You can have employees watch videos or you can share articles that demonstrate examples of a particular virtue in action. And you can make sure senior folks are role models for junior employees.”
“Most importantly, give the employees the opportunity to practice the virtues, and give feedback,” he added. “When companies give awards, they tend to do this more with core values. They should shift to core virtues and give it to people who are exemplars of that virtue.”
Ultimately, the goal for Catholics is to live authentic lives that draw others to Christ.
“Stay true to who you are, don’t give in,” said Hawkins. “They’ll know you by your fruits. I think that’s very important. You don’t have to work in the pro-life movement or specifically in an apostolate to be a good Catholic, a faithful Christian in the workplace. You can do that in any job, in any position you have – in McDonald’s or in a Fortune 500 company.”
“Mother Teresa: No Greater Love” and “Saint Michael: Meet the Angel” are both back in theaters by popular demand. / Credit: Knights of Columbus/ Sonovision and Candelaria Productions, Inc.
Boston, Mass., Oct 12, 2022 / 11:45 am (CNA).
Two new C… […]
6 Comments
I hope the cardinal called the homosexuals to a conversion of heart at that formerly Catholic institution – Georgetown U
“Our national unity needs constant attention as does the unity of our Church. Unity does not mean uniformity or sameness of opinion in heart and mind.” Typical “Gregorian” word salad. In the context of Catholic Faith, unity most certainly does mean “uniformity and sameness of heart and mind” in all essentials. That is why we have a Creed. (BTW… When Gregory was bishop in Atlanta, the Catholic radio station there once advertised the Atlanta “Pride” Parade. Connect the dots yourself.)
Combining the needed coherence of the fractious and politicized nation with the already Eucharistic unity in faith & morals within the assembled and perennial Catholic Church probably doesn’t clarify much. Apples and Oranges.
So, there’s this thing about salvation….“…the Church’s social teaching is itself a valid instrument of evangelization. As such, it proclaims God and his mystery of salvation in Christ…and…reveals man to himself…only in this light, does it concern itself with everything else…” (Second Vatican Council, 1962-5, in Gaudium et Spes; and Centesimus Annus (1991).
For a conversion of hearts to take place it is necessary to understand that although some may argue that there is no harm in engaging in demeaning sexual acts as long as they are consensual, the fact is, the desire to engage in a demeaning sexual act of any nature, cannot change the nature of the act, and thus demeaning sexual acts, which are physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally harmful, and demean the inherent Dignity of every beloved son and daughter, cannot possibly be transformed into acts of authentic Love.
Take a look at the Outreach website and you’ll see approval of transgenderism and of sodomy as an expression of love. (aka “same sex marriage”) That could only be a source of unity for Catholics if we decide to abandon the truth.
The use of the term “queer,” and thus of the acronym “LGBTQ,” is opposed to a Catholic appreciation of human dignity. I’d expect better from CWR on that.
It’s a straight (pun intended) news report (via CNA), without commentary or editorializing. Anyone even slightly familiar with CWR will know its stance on “LGBTQ” matters.
And, for the record, it is my belief that “queer” is not only completely incompatible with Catholic thought, teaching, and practice, it is deeply anti-human, anti-social, and aimed at destroying what is good, true, and beautiful.
I hope the cardinal called the homosexuals to a conversion of heart at that formerly Catholic institution – Georgetown U
“Our national unity needs constant attention as does the unity of our Church. Unity does not mean uniformity or sameness of opinion in heart and mind.” Typical “Gregorian” word salad. In the context of Catholic Faith, unity most certainly does mean “uniformity and sameness of heart and mind” in all essentials. That is why we have a Creed. (BTW… When Gregory was bishop in Atlanta, the Catholic radio station there once advertised the Atlanta “Pride” Parade. Connect the dots yourself.)
Combining the needed coherence of the fractious and politicized nation with the already Eucharistic unity in faith & morals within the assembled and perennial Catholic Church probably doesn’t clarify much. Apples and Oranges.
So, there’s this thing about salvation….“…the Church’s social teaching is itself a valid instrument of evangelization. As such, it proclaims God and his mystery of salvation in Christ…and…reveals man to himself…only in this light, does it concern itself with everything else…” (Second Vatican Council, 1962-5, in Gaudium et Spes; and Centesimus Annus (1991).
For a conversion of hearts to take place it is necessary to understand that although some may argue that there is no harm in engaging in demeaning sexual acts as long as they are consensual, the fact is, the desire to engage in a demeaning sexual act of any nature, cannot change the nature of the act, and thus demeaning sexual acts, which are physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally harmful, and demean the inherent Dignity of every beloved son and daughter, cannot possibly be transformed into acts of authentic Love.
Take a look at the Outreach website and you’ll see approval of transgenderism and of sodomy as an expression of love. (aka “same sex marriage”) That could only be a source of unity for Catholics if we decide to abandon the truth.
The use of the term “queer,” and thus of the acronym “LGBTQ,” is opposed to a Catholic appreciation of human dignity. I’d expect better from CWR on that.
“I’d expect better from CWR on that.”
It’s a straight (pun intended) news report (via CNA), without commentary or editorializing. Anyone even slightly familiar with CWR will know its stance on “LGBTQ” matters.
And, for the record, it is my belief that “queer” is not only completely incompatible with Catholic thought, teaching, and practice, it is deeply anti-human, anti-social, and aimed at destroying what is good, true, and beautiful.