Blessed Parents
Experiences of Catholic Parents with Lesbian and Gay Children
Edited by Francis DeBernardo & Jeannine Gramick, SL
BLESSED PARENTS is an anthology of stories from Catholic parents from Italy who have LGBTQ children. The stories were originally published in Italian by a ministry for Catholic LGBTQ people called Tenda di Gionata (Jonathan’s Tent), and were presented to Pope Francis during a private audience in 2020.
These stories reflect the same worries, questions, fears, courage, hope, faith, and love that so many Catholic parents of LGBTQ people experience on their journeys, whether the parents are in Italy, the U.S, or other parts of the world. Though across different cultures with different customs, what shines through these stories is the universal love that all parents have for their children.
This book contains a wealth of resource information for Catholic parents: a bibliography of the books on sexual orientation and gender identity relating to Catholicism, a list of U.S. Catholic organizations that deal with LGBTQ issues, and a number of high-quality video and audio resources for parents.
Whether you are a parent or not, you will find an abundance of information and inspiration in the pages of Blessed Parents: Experiences of Catholic Parents with Lesbian and Gay Children.
Pope Francis to Parents: The Church Loves Your LGBTQ Children As They Are
In September 2020, Pope Francis received members of Tenda di Gionata, an Italian group of parents with LGBTQ children, for a private audience. Mara Grassi, one of the group’s leaders, presented Francis with a copy of Genitori Fortunati (Blessed Parents). The book detailed the parents’ and their families’ experiences with having LGBTQ members.
In response, Pope Francis told the parents gathered for the audience: “The Church does not exclude [your children]. It loves your children as they are, because they are children of God.”
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To order your print copy of Blessed Parents, please complete the form below. $4 will be added to your order for shipping inside the U.S. or $10 for outside the U.S. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.