DIGNITY/BOSTON > NEWS

Updated 10/20/2011

DIGNITY/BOSTON CALENDAR OF EVENTS

December 2011

The Polishing of the Brass: Dignity/Boston and the St. John the Evangelist church community will be polishing the brass in our church. This is a “hands on” event. It’s a good opportunity for our two communities to work together. It’s sure to be lots of fun. Supplies will be provided. The event is Saturday (12/10) from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, of course, right here at St. John’s. Please join us!/p>

Advent Evening of Reflection: Join us for our Advent Evening of Reflection on Wednesday, 12/14 at 7:30 p.m. here at St. John’s. It is easy to forget the true meaning of Advent amidst the hustle and bustle of shopping and decking the halls. For some, Advent becomes a time of passive waiting, a loitering of the soul. The Advent Evening of Reflection will be an opportunity to escape the holiday rush and make this season of anticipation a spiritually active one. Consider joining us on this quiet evening of joyful expectation to reflect on the first coming of Christ and to pray for the glorious second coming.

The Greening of the Church: Please join us as we ‘green’ our church on Saturday, 12/17 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Come and help beautify our church for the Christmas season.

Christmas Flowers: There is an ongoing collection happening for Christmas flowers for our church. Please see Bert for an envelope to contribute for flowers.

We Need Your Creative Input! Dignity/Boston is going to celebrate its 40th Anniversary and we need a tagline to publicize our vision, our community and our success. A tagline is a slogan which succinctly, memorably, and descriptively sums up a company or product. Examples of taglines are Nike's 'Just do it' or Call to Action's "Catholic. Liberal. Faithful.". During this evening’s coffee hour add your ideas and suggestions for our tagline.

DIGNITY/BOSTON ANNOUNCEMENTS

For more information, contact the following members of the 2011 Executive Board:

• President - Peggy B.
• Vice-President - Steven Y.
• Secretary - Robin E.
• Treasurer - Chris L.

At-Large Members

• Ned G.
• Peggy H.
• Aiden H.

Friday Night Supper Looking for Clothes: FNS is looking for clothes. Please clean out your closet and donate your items to the program. Spring is around the corner. Please consider donating men's socks (large or extra large) and underwear. These items are asked for weekly and go very fast. If we all pick up a package of 3 or 6 socks, we will be able to fill the Christmas bags we give to the guests. See Kathy Ann or Peggy Burns for more details.

Join Dignity/Boston's Music Ministry: The music ministry invites singers and musicians to join us for weekly choir practice, each Sunday at 4:00 P.M. sharp. Being a part of the choir is a wonderful way to pray and to add to the worship experience of our community. Prior experience in a singing group or the ability to read music are helpful, but not necessary. See Jane for more details.

Friday Night Supper Program: Dignity/Boston and the Arlington Street Church (ASC) sponsor this weekly meal program for hungry and homeless people in Boston. Meals are prepared and served every Friday year round at ASC. Volunteers are needed to cook, serve meals, and help in community outreach. Interested volunteers should visit www.fridaynightsupper.org  for more information.

Be Active in Your Community: There’s plenty of ways to be active in your Dignity/Boston community. Here’s just a few: become a liturgical dancer, greet our community at the entrance to the church each Sunday, sing in the choir, participate in the Walk for Hunger, become a coffee angel, or be active in a Dignity committees such as the Peace and Justice group, the Education Committee, the Next Generation, Couples Ministry, or the Liturgy Committee. It’s great a way to give back to your committee that gives so much. Please contact any board member to find out more. You can also email the board at db-board@dignityboston.org Thanks, in advance, for your consideration and your help.

Dignity/Boston's Next-Generation is a group of 20-30 year-olds who like to have fun in an organization focused on spirituality, service, and socializing. We meet after liturgy twice a month and have dinner together after Mass. It's a good way to get to know the members of the Next-Generation and to learn more about our programs. Why not join us? We'd love to get to know you.

Couples’ Registry: If you would like to register your chapter sponsored or hosted marriage/union ceremony with DignityUSA, please complete the form found in the Chapter's copy of the Couples' Ministry Resource Guide and mail or fax it to the national office. For more information on the National Couples Registry and the Couple Ministry Resource Guide, please go to our website at www.dignityusa.org or call DignityUSA at 800-877-8797.

Greeters: Do you have a welcoming persona? A great personality? A warm smile? Then, you're the perfect person to help greet our community at the front door. Dignity/Boston is always looking for "greeters" to hand out name tags and welcome people as they arrive at our 5:30 liturgy. It's also a great way to know everyone in our chapter by name. The next time that someone greets you, let them know that you'd like to be on the other side of the table.

New to Us? If you're new to our community, welcome! Dignity offers an orientation after most Sunday liturgies. Also, there's an information table that is set up downstairs after service. The table has flyers, brochures, and newsletters about happenings in our community and the GLBT community at large. Finally, many members of Dignity often go out to eat after our coffee hour. In addition to the social hour itself, it's a great way to become friends with members and learn more about us. Ask around and hook up with a group.

Membership: Don't forget to renew your Dignity membership when your notice arrives in the mail. We need you! If you have any questions about joining or renewing, please see Dave H. or any board member. Contact membership@dignityboston.org

Time, Talent, and Treasure: Would you like to give back to the Dignity community? Many of us would but we're not always sure of the best way. Consider your time, talent, and treasure. Some of us have "time" but "no money". Others of us have "some money" but "no time". And, of course, all of us have some kind of talent. Dignity/Boston asks you to share with us your time, talent, or treasure. Think of how you could best serve the community. Contact a member of the Executive Board or the Liturgy Committee.

Coffee Angels and Coffee Cubs We have several seasoned coffee angels handling the social hour coffee, tea, and treats. We'd love to have interested trainees (Coffee Cubs) to team with them. If you're interested, please see Mary M.

Are you interested in becoming a Eucharistic minister? See any member of the Liturgy Committee for more information about how you can become involved in this special part of liturgy.

Healing Services The third Sunday of every month is Healing Sunday at Dignity/Boston. We invite all to take part in our anointing service in whatever way they feel comfortable.

Healing Ministers Needed: Interested in serving on a healing team for our Sunday Healing Ministry? Please contact John K.

Dignity/Boston Pastoral Care Teams: Dignity/Boston serves as the primary spiritual support community for many, if not most, of its members. Therefore it is important for our community to provide resources for pastoral care and support beyond that offered through participation in weekly liturgies, social events, and educational programming. In response to this need, each month a Pastoral Care Team will offer short-term, focused pastoral care to members of our community, along with resources for referrals to more long-term care providers. Pastoral Care Teams would be the point people for crisis situations that happen at church on Sundays during a particular month, for board people who collect voicemail requests and chapter e-mail asking for help, and for support of the monthly healing ministry (part of the post-healing debriefing, possibly to help with follow-up with people after a healing service). In addition, these teams would coordinate responses/referrals to address expressed needs as well as coordinate pastoral visits/community presence to members who are seriously ill, hospitalized, or bereaved. To access this service please see a board member or presider for more information.

Remembrance If you wish to have a loved one remembered during our Sunday Liturgy, please speak to any member of the Liturgy Committee at least a week in advance.

On a spiritual search? If you're new to the Dignity community or if you're seasoned member, you may be searching for a way to integrate being GLBT into your spirituality. You may have some questions about being Catholic or Christian and being gay. The Spiritual Life committee keeps a list of members experienced in offering spiritual direction who are ready to assist you. We can’t necessarily offer long term spiritual direction but we can help with some of the immediate challenges. For more information, contact Jon S. at jpsrvl@aol.com.

Help Sponsor A Dignity Membership: It's been a tough economy for awhile now. So many members of our community are working in low paying jobs, going back to school for retraining, and some are actually out of work. Would you be willing to help sponsor a membership for someone whose life circumstances prevent them from coming up with the money to join or renew right now? If so, please contact Chris L. at membership@dignityboston.org.

Dignity/Boston Scholarships: Did you know that scholarships are available to offset the price of Dignity/Boston memberships? Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis for those who have a financial need. All we ask is that you offer some of your time and talent in return. For more information, please Chris L. at membership@dignityboston.org.

Gender parity in Liturgy While Dignity/Boston tries tremendously to achieve gender parity regarding readers and Eucharistic ministers, there may be times when this is not possible. We thank you for your understanding.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: This sacrament is available upon request. Please see one of the presiders or a member of the Liturgy Committee to schedule an appointment.

Cancellation Policy: In unusual circumstances, such as when the Governor declares a State of Emergency because of bad weather, Dignity/Boston may cancel its events, including the regular Sunday Liturgy. Cancellations will be posted on our web site and recorded on the answering machine. We will email the cancellation to the email list.

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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Breath of the Spirit: This is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your Dignity/Boston chapter, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life. We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by emailing info@DignityUSA.org ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.

Tiffany Club of New England Open House , an organization for Transgender people and their supporters, hosts an Open House every Tuesday night at 7:30 PM at the Tiffany Club's headquarters in Waltham. Stop by for face to face chat, free munchies, and a relaxed environment to get to know others in a low-key, no pressure, transgender friendly environment. Call 781-891-9325/781-899-3230 or email info@tcne.org for more information and details or visit their website at www.tcne.org.

Boston Ironsides RFC: A rugby team dedicated to bringing rugby to traditionally underrepresented men in the Boston area. We welcome those interested in playing rugby, gay or otherwise, to join us. No experience necessary. For more information, see http://bostonironsidesrfc.org. Boston Ironsides RFC is proud to be a member of PrideSports Boston (http://www.geocities.com/pridesportsboston/).

PFLAG Meetings Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meets several times a month at various locations in the Greater Boston area. For more information, call PFLAG at 781-891-5966 or visit their website, www.gbpflag.org, to find a local chapter meeting.

The GLBT Helpline at the Fenway Community Health Center offers information, support, and referrals to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning community nationwide through its toll free number. Fenway's trained GLBT volunteers can help you find a service, phone number or just be a friendly and nonjudgmental person to talk with. You can call them at 1-888-340-GLBT (4528) from 6:00pm till 11:00pm.

The Peer Listening Line at the Fenway Community Health Center offers information, support, and referrals to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning youth nationwide through its toll free number. Fenway's trained GLBT youth volunteers can help you find a service, phone number or just be a friendly and nonjudgmental person to talk with. You can call them at 1-800-399-PEER (7337) 5:00pm till 10:00pm.

Catholic Resource Easterbrooks hosts a website with information about Catholic liturgical readings, the Rosary, the saints, and celebrations. Go to http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/ for the latest daily readings.

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Dignity/Boston's Board meetings and Liturgy Committee meetings are open to all members of Dignity/Boston. Both groups meet monthly year-round. Please share an interest or concern by attending one or both of these meetings. All meetings are announced on this Web site, in the printed bulletin distributed at Liturgy each Sunday, and during announcements at the end of Liturgy. To place an issue on the agenda for the next Board meeting, please email the President of Dignity Boston at president@dignityboston.org or at 617.421.1915. Feel free to leave a detailed message. To publish something on this page or the print version of the Bulletin, contact Dave H. at bulletin@dignityboston.org. Deadline for Bulletin submission is Tuesday at 9 p.m. Announcement listings will be at the discretion of the Board. All personal listings will run once. Chapter and organizational listings will continue running at the discretion of the Bulletin editor. The chapter does not endorse nor will be responsible for any personal views expressed in these announcements. Reach the Dignity/Boston community through the print version of the weekly Bulletin. For advertising rates, see Aidan (our Treasurer) after Liturgy or send an email to treasurer@dignityboston.org.

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