Australia Bound

Tomorrow evening I leave for a two-month long visit to Australia to see family and friends. It will be my seventh trip back to my homeland in the sixteen years I’ve lived in the U.S.

Last night some friends gathered at my home in St. Paul to wish me bon voyage.

Right: With Phil.






Above (from left): Freeman, John, Brigid, Bernie, and Kathleen.




Left: Mary and John.





Above: Sitting second from left with (from right)Paul, Rick, and Brian.



Right: Ken, Carol, Kate, and Brian.






Above: Babs and Kathleen.


Left: With Paula Ruddy and Bernie Rodel. All three of us serve as co-chairs of the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform.





Above (from left): Freeman Noelle, Kathleen, and Phil.



Above (from left): Kate, Jane, Eileen, Bernie, and John.



Right: Jairo.









Above: With my dear friend Rita.

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On Friday, December 4, I attended a Christmas party for members and friends of the organization I work for, the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), and its two projects - Catholic Rainbow Parents and The Progressive Catholic Voice. Following are a few photos from this gathering.



Above (from left): Paula, Michael, and Gretchen.



Above: Tom and Gretchen Murr, who graciously hosted the CPCSM/Rainbow Catholic Parents/Progressive Catholic Voice Christmas party.



Above: Georgia Mueller and Mary Lynn Murphy - both mothers of gay sons and co-founding members of the Catholic Rainbow Parents. Mary Lynn also served for many years as president of CPCSM.



Above: David McCaffrey (left), co-founder of CPCSM, and his partner Michael Douglas. (For David’s recollections on the founding of CPCSM, click here.)



Above: Paul Fleege and Paula Ruddy.

Paul serves on the CPCSM board and for many years was the organization's treasurer. Paula is a co-founder and regular contributor to The Progressive Catholic Voice.



Above: Mary Beckfeld, co-founding member of Catholic Rainbow Parents, CPCSM board member, and former CPCSM president.



Above (back row): Tom, Gretchen, Conrad, Georgia, and Mary Lynn. Front row: Teresa, Brigid, and Mary.


See also the previous Wild Reed post:
Australia Bound (2006)