# Event Details

- **Event Name**: LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch
- **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 11 Nov, 2025 at 09:00 pm – Tue, 11 Nov, 2025 at 10:15 pm
- **Event Description**: We invite you to join us for this CLGS Lavender Lunch, which will feature a distinguished panel of leaders from various LGBTQ+ ministry organizations, including Outreach, New Ways Ministry, Dignity USA, and the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative LGBT Initiative.

Panelists will offer reflections on their respective ministries, highlighting the unique challenges they have encountered as well as the opportunities that lie ahead for advancing LGBTQ+ ministry within the Catholic context.

Following the panel presentations, attendees will participate in a collective discussion facilitated by Dr. Ish Ruíz, Coordinator of the CLGS Catholic Roundtable. This discussion will focus on the practical dimensions of Catholic LGBTQ+ ministry in today’s evolving ecclesial and political landscape.

Our Presenters


Dr. Ish Ruíz is Coordinator of the CLGS Catholic Roundtable and Assistant Professor of Latinx and Queer Decolonial Theology at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Dr. Ruíz holds a PhD in Theology and Ethics from the Graduate Theological Union.

A native from Puerto Rico and a queer Catholic theologian, his research interests explore the intersection between queer theology, Latinx theology, ecclesiology, sexual ethics, liberation, human rights, and Catholic education.

He is the author of LGBTQ+ Educators in Catholic Schools: Synodality, Inclusivity, and Justice (Rowman and Littlefield), the editor of Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions, and the author of numerous academic articles.

Francis DeBernardo has been the Executive Director of New Ways Ministry since 1996, leading educational programs on LGBTQ+ issues and Catholicism across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. He is the author of several influential books, including New Ways and Next Steps, Mychal Judge: Take Me Where You Want Me to Go, and A Home for All: A Catholic Call for LGBTQ+ Non-Discrimination. In addition to publishing widely in Catholic and secular outlets, he edits the Bondings 2.0 blog and frequently speaks to church, academic, and media audiences. In 2023 and 2024, he met personally with Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss LGBTQ+, transgender, and intersex issues.

Marianne Duddy-Burke is the Executive Director of DignityUSA, the oldest Catholic organization advocating justice and full inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people, and co-chairs the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics. A frequent speaker and writer, she has been featured in major media outlets worldwide and in the documentary Wonderfully Made: LGBTQ+R(eligion). In 2023, she met with Pope Francis, and she has advised the U.S. State Department and testified before Congress on LGBTQ+ rights, health care, and religious exemptions. She lives in Boston with her spouse Becky and their two adult children.

Michael J. O’Loughlin is the executive director of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic ministry, and author of Hidden Mercy: Catholics, AIDS, and Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear and The Tweetable Pope. His award-winning journalism on HIV, AIDS, and Catholic issues has been recognized by the GLAAD Media Awards, the Catholic Media Association, and the National LGBT Journalists Association. Formerly a national correspondent for America Magazine and staff writer for The Boston Globe and Crux, his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and more. He is a frequent speaker and media commentator on Catholic life and LGBTQ issues.

Sabina Marroquin serves as the Campus Minister for LGBTQ+ communities at the University of Dayton and is a member of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative LGBTQ+ Initiative team. Her work explores the intersection of faith, gender, and sexuality from a Catholic and Marianist spirituality.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/berkeley-california/lgbtq-catholic-ministry-future-trajectories-with-prof-ish-ruíz-and-guests-|-a-clgs-lavender-lunch/200029017496600
- **Event Categories**: lgbt-pride, art, literary-art, health-wellness
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 63

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Berkeley, California
- **location**: Online event
- **full address**: Online event, 1798 Scenic Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709-1323, United States, Berkeley, California

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/99e5163698124546cbebae334697a5fab5487ae0248e2854020a1e8cd09ba022-rimg-w940-h788-dcae8452-gmir?v=1761877716

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch being held?
  - **A:** LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch takes place on Tue, 11 Nov, 2025 at 09:00 pm to Tue, 11 Nov, 2025 at 10:15 pm at Online event, 1798 Scenic Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709-1323, United States, Berkeley, California.
- **Q**: Who is organizing LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch?
  - **A:** LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch is organized by Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion - CLGS.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** LGBTQ+ Catholic Ministry: Future Trajectories with Prof. Ish Ruíz and Guests | A CLGS Lavender Lunch is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Berkeley, California, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. With 60+ people already showing interest, this is clearly an event worth adding to your calendar - don't miss out.

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