Out and About - June 2010

Above: Thanks to the abundant spring rain this year in Minnesota, the gardens in the Twin Cities have been especially lush and colorful.

For more images of the spring and summer buds and blooms, see the previous Wild Reed posts:
Spring's Return
In Minnesota, An Early Spring
Spring Blooms
Summer Rain



Above and below: On Thursday, June 3, I joined with about 80 others outside of St. Martin's Table Restaurant and Bookstore in South Minneapolis to dedicate and celebrate the planting of two peace poles, one planted outside of The Table and a second across the street outside of the African Development Center of Minnesota. Both poles contain the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in eight languages.



My friend Kathleen Olsen, who serves as the bookstore manager at The Table, welcomed folks to the gathering and helped lead music with fellow song leader Mary Preus and longtime Lutheran songwriter Ray Makeever. The ceremony included speeches by St. Martin's Table founder Mary Schramm and current manager Gert Brixius. It was followed by a brief ceremony at the African Development Center, where Hussein Samatar, Executive Director of the Center, spoke about the importance and power of peace. He suggested that while there is still much peacemaking that must be done, we can celebrate the victory of one afternoon of peace and collaboration in our neighborhood.

The dedication event was the culmination of St. Martin's Table's 25th Anniversary as a ministry of the Community of St. Martin. My friend Mary Preus, volunteer coordinator at The Table, said that the collaboration and celebration was a display of "our common vision for unity while celebrating diversity, hope in the midst of daily challenges, and joy for all who embody peace and spread it throughout the world."



Above: The June 12 wedding of friends Emily and Eddie!



Left: Kathleen, Emily, Eddie, and Joey.






Right: With my friend Greg at Eddie and Emily's wedding.








Above: The happy couple!



Above and below: Celebrating Father's Day with my friend Phil, his parents John (right) and Noelle, and family friend Jackie (second from right).




Above: My sweet boy, Quinn!





Above and left: On Sunday, June 20, Phil, Noelle, and I enjoyed a day trip to the northern Minnesota port city of Duluth. We took little Quinn along with us.










Above: Duluth's famous Aerial Lift Bridge.

For more images of our visit to Minnesota's fourth largest city, see the previous Wild Reed post, Sunday in Duluth.



Above: The CPCSM and Dignity Twin Cities co-sponsored "Catholic Mass in Celebration of Our LGBT Brothers and Sisters" - June 24, 2010, at The House of the Beloved Disciple in South Minneapolis.

Right: Standing at right with Brian McNeill, president of Dignity Twin Cites. As I'm sure most visitors to The Wild Reed would know, I've served since 2003 as the executive coordinator of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM).

For more images and commentary on this Mass that was intentionally planned to acknowledge and celebrate the presence of God in the lives and relationships of LGBT individuals, couples, and families, click here.




Gay Pride was celebrated on the last weekend of June in the Twin Cities, and, as in past years, the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM) had an informational booth at the popular Gay Pride festival that's held each year in Loring Park, Minneapolis.

Above: Standing second from right with (from left) Paul, Stephanie, and Tom - Saturday, June 26, 2010.

For more images and commentary about our Catholic presence at Gay Pride, click here.