DIGNITY/BOSTON > NEWS

Updated 4/27/08

DIGNITY/BOSTON CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May 2008

5/1 Thursday

Celebrate the Feast of the Ascension: Dignity/Boston and the community of St. John the Evangelist will join together for something new -- a joint celebration. Please join us at 7:00 p.m. for Liturgy. All are welcome! It’s a wonderful opportunity to feel the synergy of our two communities as we work to carry forth God’s message.

5/4 Sunday

Lay-Led Liturgy: Today's Liturgy will be led by two members of our community.

5/10 Satutrday

Couples’ Ministry Event: There will be a special Couples’ Ministry event at Robin’s home in Billerica on Saturday, 5/10. Robin along with M.A. and/or Peggy B. will be demonstrating how to fix the various items that tend to breakdown at times in our homes. To RSVP, please contact the Couples’ Ministry coordinators, Dave and Mike, at houlivan@yahoo.com.

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June 2008

6/1 Sunday

AIDS Walk Boston: Dignity/Boston will once again be participating in the AIDS Walk this year. You’ll be hearing more from Bert as this gets closer. For now, please save the date.

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July 2008

7/2 Wednesday - 7/5 Saturday

DignityUSA Convention: Please join us for the DignityUSA Convention in San Francisco from 7/2/09 to 7/5/09. The theme is “We Will Make It to the Promised Land: Celebrating 40 Years of Dignity”. You might want to make it a point to come early and join the San Francisco Pride celebration happening the weekend before the convention. Show your pride by joining in the Dignity’s 40th Anniversary Pride Parade contingent. The registration form for the convention is available at www.dignityusa.org.

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August 2008

Stay tuned for more details!

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September 2008

Stay tuned for more details!

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October 2008

10/3 - 10/5 Friday - Sunday

Fall Retreat: Members of the Women’s /Men’s Spirituality Group are planning a weekend retreat at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, 10/3—10/5. The retreat begins on Friday evening and ends after lunch on Sunday. The brothers at Glastonbury are warm and welcoming and provide us a comfortable and roomy house in beautiful wooded setting. This retreat has become somewhat of an annual event for our community, and offers a wonderful opportunity for personal renewal in the company of Dignity friends. The retreat is limited to 21 persons and there are still openings. The cost is $120 which includes all meals and lodging. If you would like to participate, please contact Phil S. or any member of the Board.

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November 2008

Stay tuned for more details!

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December 2008

Stay tuned for more details!

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DIGNITY/BOSTON ANNOUNCEMENTS

For more information, contact the following members of the 2007 Executive Board:

• President - Philip W.
• Vice-President - Peggy H.
• Secretary - Rocco P.
• Treasurer - Aidan H.
  
  officers@dignityboston.org

At-Large Members

• Bert O.
• Paige E
• Victor P.

Join Dignity/Boston's Music Ministry: The music ministry invites singers and musicians to join us for weekly choir practice, each Sunday at 4:15 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 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.

New Dignity/Boston Education Committee: The Executive Board of Dignity/Boston is pleased to announce plans to establish an Education Committee which will oversee the intramural (within Dignity/Boston) and extramural (outreach) educational activities of the Dignity/Boston chapter. Plans include development of a Speakers Bureau to respond to requests from outside organizations. We hope to have the first meeting in September. We are now looking for people who are interested in participating in this exciting endeavor. For more information, please remember to speak to Ron L. or another board member after Liturgy or by email at officers@dignityboston.org.

Been Married Since 5/17 and Willing to Speak to the Press? Contact Dave or Mike of Dignity/Boston’s Couples’ Ministry at houlivan@yahoo.com.

Couples’ Registry: If you would like to register your chapter sponsored or hosted 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 Peggy 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 contact Kathy Ann at kathyann_g@comcast.net.

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.

Dance Ministry meets from 2:30 - 4:30 on a Sunday at St. John's (map) each month. Please come to the meeting with white shirts and black pants unless otherwise specified. Let Kathy Ann or another member know if you are interested and are coming. No experience necessary. Just a willingness to participate in body prayer. See Kathy Ann after liturgy or email her at at kathyann_g@comcast.net for more information.

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 Sandra C. at litecastle@comcast.net. Look for a training workshop sometime during Lent.

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 Peggy H. 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 Peggy H. 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, an organization for Transgender people and their supporters, meets every Thursday at 7:30 PM at the Tiffany Club's headquarters in Waltham. Call 781.891.9325 for more information or visit their website at www.tcne.org.

Lunch and Social for Elders: There will be a lunch and social time for LGBT elders every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Emmanuel Church in Boston's Back Bay. For more details and reservations, please call or e-mail Diane at Ethos. The phone number is 617-522-6700. The e-mail contact is nutrition@ethocare.org.

Where the Graduate Students Are: This is a social event for GLBT graduate students and pre-professionals in the Boston area. The event takes place on the first Friday of every month at Club Café at 209 Columbus Ave. in Boston. The time is 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event is free. For more information, call Club Cafe for details: 617-536-0966.

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 on the fourth Monday of the month at Fenway Community Health Center, 7 Haviland Street, Boston. For more information, call PFLAG at 617.547.2440 or visit their website, www.pflag.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 Alice K. 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 email her at officers@dignityboston.org.

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