Approved by Joseph Costantino, S.J., the pastor of Saint Ignatius Church Chestnut Hill
Dear Parishioners,
I [Michael Sennett, Parish Administrator] delivered the below text at a recent interfaith action event for transgender equality, hosted by Temple Israel of Boston. The prayer Break
Open Our Hearts by Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki, O.S.B., featured in last week’s bulletin letter, was how I introduced my talk.
Prayer. An act of love, of devotion, of unity. Why am I hesitant of something so pure in nature? One of the most frustrating aspects of
being a catholic trans man is that people often insist on praying for me, but never with me. On the surface, they may appear well intentioned,
and undoubtedly some are sincere. Yet, I know there are folks who pray for me to be subject to discrimination and injustice, to change who I
am at the very core of my being. They pray for what they assume to be a choice, a sickness, a disorder. Worship becomes territorial. As I am
cast an outcast, my existence is met with resistance. Opponents find comfort in limiting my human rights. In fact, they utilize their hatred to
embed fear into society. This hatred and fear mongering is used to validate repeals to our protections, as is the case with Massachusetts Ballot
Question 3. Composed in a purposely confusing manner, this measure seeks to roll back public protections for the transgender community.
A no vote would succeed in stripping trans people of our rights, whereas a yes vote would preserve current legislation
Bulletin is here
