Fr. James Martin Plans NYC LGBTQ Catholic History Pilgrimage

Fr. James Martin and his Outreach group are gearing up for a New York City pilgrimage built around “LGBTQ Catholic history,” with stops planned for late September at places tied to the city’s gay-rights and AIDS-era legacy. The trip is being pitched as a gathering for LGBTQ Catholics, allies, and ministry workers, with prayer, Mass, and fellowship folded into the schedule.

The three-day event runs September 25 to 27 and is centered on several well-known Manhattan landmarks. Among the planned stops are the AIDS Memorial Park and the Stonewall National Monument, along with a prayer service and fellowship at St. Paul the Apostle, Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church, and Sunday Mass at St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Outreach says the idea is to bring people together in a setting it calls spiritually important for LGBTQ Catholics. Martin described New York as a major historic place for LGBTQ people and said this will be the group’s second pilgrimage, following a previous trip to Rome last year.

That framing is exactly why the event is drawing sharp attention. Critics say the whole setup pushes a message that blurs the Church’s teaching and replaces clear doctrine with a softer public face that sounds welcoming but leaves the hard truths in the background.

The Catholic Church does not leave much room for confusion on the issue. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law,” and it also says the homosexual inclination is “objectively disordered.” It is equally direct in saying that “(h)omosexual persons are called to chastity.”

That matters because the Church’s call is not just about hospitality, it is about conversion. Catholics are called to love every person, but that love is supposed to be rooted in truth, repentance, and the sacramental life of the Church rather than applause for behavior the Church says is sinful.

Outreach’s lineup adds to the controversy. Father Michael Zampelli, a Jesuit and member of the group’s advisory board, is set to celebrate Mass at St. Francis Xavier, while Sister Karen Helfenstein is also scheduled to speak during the pilgrimage after years of promoting a more affirming approach to the so-called “LGBT community.”

The group has been active for years, and not quietly. Its events have repeatedly featured speakers who openly reject Catholic teaching on same-sex “marriage” and gender ideology, which is part of why supporters and critics alike treat Outreach as more than a niche ministry and more like a live argument over what Catholic witness should look like in public.

Earlier this year, Outreach held its annual conference at Georgetown University and marked five years of work with so-called “LGBT Catholics.” The event brought together Fr. Martin, Cardinal Robert McElroy, Father James Keenan, S.J., and Sister Nancy Corcoran, CSJ, all of whom have drawn criticism for taking positions that clash with long-held Church teaching.

That conference was not some low-key pastoral gathering. It was a full-on showcase for voices that have pushed back against the Church’s teaching on marriage, sexuality, and transgender issues, and it made clear that Outreach is building a broader network around the same message.

For Catholics who want to hold the line, the tension is obvious. The Church is called to care for people with same-sex attraction, but that care cannot be separated from the call to holiness, confession, and obedience to the faith that has been handed down for centuries.

New York will give this pilgrimage a vivid backdrop, and that is part of the point. The city’s landmarks carry emotional weight, especially for people connected to the AIDS crisis and to modern identity politics, so the event is likely to land as both a spiritual gathering and a public statement about where the debate inside Catholic life is headed.