As women who try to build relational communities wherever we live and serve, we want to make clear that our gay/lesbian brothers and sisters are all members of God's family. Recognition of the inalienable dignity of each person is the only path toward reconciliation and union of neighbor with neighbor.

We respect the teaching authority of the Church and take seriously the U.S. Bishops' statement Always Our Children which states, "God does not love someone less because he or she is homosexual. God's love is always and everywhere offered to those who are open to receive it." As educators, pastoral ministers, health-care givers, spiritual directors, and leaders within a variety of church communities, we are in pastoral contact with our gay/lesbian brothers and sisters and their families. It is becoming more and more difficult to minister among the faithful who are personally affected when members of our Church use language like "serious depravity," "harmful to the proper development of human society," or "intrinsically disordered" when discussing the lives and relationships of those who are homosexual

In this spirit we support our brother priests in the Chicago area in their Open Letter to the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church Regarding the Pastoral Care of Gay and Lesbian Persons and encourage openness and dialogue, which includes the lived experience of all Catholics. We ask that all in the Church community, leaders and members, immediately stop using language that excludes or divides. We commit ourselves to continue our CSSJ tradition of union and reconciliation by respecting the dignity of all with whom we share the journey of faith.

Here is the Link to the Chicago Priests' Letter as printed in NCR: www.ncronline.org/mainpage/chicagoletter.htm

* as used, for example, in Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons

The Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is a dynamic union of all the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the United States who claim a common origin in the foundation at LePuy, France in 1650. This includes over 7,000 members of twenty-two Congregations throughout the United States. Together we strive to embody a vision of all people united in one earth community of love, unity and reconciliation. We do this through collaborative programs, interaction, prayer, and ministry. In our conflicted 21st century world, the Sisters of Saint Joseph seek to bring our traditions and vision to life in a way that will speak to our contemporary society and be a positive influence for change.