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St. Vincent's was the only church in that area with a website:

January 28, 2003

St. Victor's Catholic Church is an urban community of faith located in the heart of a busy and heavily populated metropolis. We seek to follow the Lord and live the good news--the gospel--according to our ancient Catholic tradition. We welcome all, regardless of race, nationality, gender, socio-economic class or sexual orientation. We believe in the power of the gospel to transform our lives and society around us, even in the most cosmopolitan of settings. We are a city on a hill. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth. We are located in West Hollywood and serve residents of that city and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles.

We are pleased to offer an outstanding music program to complement our liturgy. We provide more than 1,000 meals each month to the poor and homeless. We seek to serve the outcast of society, those marginalized through economic status, social disapproval or any kind of discrimination. God does not discriminate. We invite you to join us in our service to God and neighbor, especially those in our midst who are shunned by the rest of society. All are welcome at St. Victor's. Come home to St. Victor's.

Our society continually reinforces messages of exclusion and hatred toward gay and lesbian individuals. Unfortunately, this spirit of ridicule and judgment has also at times seeped into the Church. More than a few times we have heard shocking tales of gay and lesbian Catholics being excluded by priests, thrown out of their homes, fired for no cause and ridiculed in our Catholic schools. The pain caused by such ignorance can last a lifetime.

At St. Victor's, we extend an invitation to members of the gay and lesbian community to join us, just as they are, and to heal these wounds of shame. We encourage gay and lesbian Catholics to rediscover their birthright to membership in the People of God, a right bestowed by their baptism. Thus we all share in the dignity of being called sons and daughters of God

"We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body." —2 Cor. 4:8-10

visit the AIDS Memorial Chapel at St. Victor's
NEXT HIV MASS: SEPTEMBER 16, 2 p.m.

Q. If I decide to go to confession, do I have to confess things that I do not believe are sins?

A. You should only confess actions or lack of actions that your conscience tells you are wrong. If you are conflicted about something, talk to the priest about it. Tell him why you don't think it is wrong. He will help you work through your feelings and resolve any conflicts you may have. If you are not conflicted about something, or if your conscience is genuinely confortable with a perticular course of action, why should you bring it up, unless you are truly bothered by it? The confessional is not for debating; it is where you come with sincerity to reconcile yourself with God and the faith community.