Mahony to Lead Mass at Gay Ministry Meeting

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will celebrate Mass next week in Long Beach at the fourth annual convention of the National Assn. of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries.

More than 200 people from across the United States are expected at the event, which begins Thursday and runs through Sept. 7 at the Sheraton Long Beach Hotel.

The conference includes workshops on lesbian and gay spirituality, women’s issues, outreach to people of color, helping the church minister to lesbians and gays, and youth- and family-related issues.

Besides Mahony, three Los Angeles auxiliary bishops, the Most Revs. Stephen E. Blaire, Joseph M. Sartoris and Gabino Zavala, are scheduled to deliver keynote addresses.

Father Jim Schexnayder, president of the conference, said that when the group was formed four years ago, only 14 of the more than 200 U.S. Catholic dioceses had such programs. That has doubled to about 30 now, he said.

Also scheduled to speak are Richard McCord, associate director of the Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women and Youth at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Sister Kathleen Schinhofen, an educator and counselor.

This year’s theme is “Unconditional Love.” Registration is $50 for conference participants, $75 for nonconference participants. For more information, call (510) 465-9344.