LGBT+ Catholics Westminster is the Archbishop and Catholic Diocese of Westminster’s official pastoral outreach to LGBT+ Catholics. LGBT+ Catholics Westminster extends a warm welcome to all LGBT+ Catholics, their parents, families, friends and partners, and indeed to all people of good will, whether LGBT+ or not - all are welcome in God’s house! Outside of Covid-19 lockdowns, our community meets at
the 17:30 Parish evening Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at the
Church of the Immaculate Conception, 114 Mount Street,
Mayfair,
London W1K 3AH. We encourage our community members to attend Mass in their “home” parishes on other Sundays. After Mass (the pandemic permitting) we provide refreshments and a chance to socialise for the community and others from the congregation in the Parish Hall, though please check our posts for more information on Mass times etc. during Covid-19 times. Please see below, as background, a short history of the evolution of LGBT+ Catholics Westminster. Masses in Westminster Diocese, welcoming LGBT+ Catholics, parents, families and friends, began in April 1999 on the Sunday following the bombing of the Admiral Duncan public-house in Old Compton Street. These liturgies were first held in the Convent of the Helpers of the Holy Souls in Camden Town, London. When the convent was sold in 2001, the community of LGBT+ Catholic worshippers relocated temporarily to St. Anne’s Anglican Church, Dean Street, Soho. As the congregation enlarged in its Soho location, it eventually outgrew the space available. In March 2007, following a period of consultation with the Diocese, our community of le***an, gay, bisexual, transgendered Catholics, parents and friends were invited to transfer the fortnightly Masses from St. Anne’s Anglican Church, Soho to the Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption & St. Gregory, Warwick Street, Soho. A statement encouraging “full and active participation” by LGBT Catholics in the life of the Church was issued by the Diocese of Westminster on 2nd February 2007 and the Soho Masses Pastoral Council also made a statement regarding the initiative. A further statement from Westminster Diocese confirming this pastoral provision was released on 17 December 2007. The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption & St. Gregory, Warwick Street, Soho, is one of the most historic churches in the Diocese of Westminster, reaching back to 1724; originally the Chapel of the Portuguese Embassy, it became the Royal Bavarian Embassy chapel in 1780, serving perhaps up to 1000 Catholics living in St. James’ Parish and more in St. Anne’s Parish, Soho. Other references note that during the 18th & 19th centuries, the “Portuguese Chapel” (and St. Anne’s Parish Church) were famed for their ministry to the poor, setting historical precedents in reaching out to marginalised groups in the area. The regular bi-monthly Sunday evening Masses at the Church of the Assumption were regularly attended by well over 100 people, with an estimated overall contact with 250-300 people, since some were occasional participants. The Masses were celebrated by a rota of 15 priests, mostly resident or working in Westminster Diocese, with some coming from other dioceses too. The Soho Masses Pastoral Council, 12 people elected on an annual basis by regular Mass participants, was responsible for planning these liturgies, and a number of other pastoral events. In early 2013, the Church of the Assumption was given over to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a body set up Pope Benedict XVI to welcome Anglicans uncomfortable with the Church of England's position on female clergy into the Catholic church, while the LGBT+ community worshipping at the Church of the Assumption was invited to move to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, administered by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). There the community has the privilege of sharing Mass with the congregation of non-LGBT+ members of the parish, demonstrating the essential unity of the Church. During the year, we organise and provide a range of pastoral and social activities, and members of the community participate in various aspects of the wider parish life. Do come and join us!
