In Hell’s Kitchen, a Church Tailors Outreach to Its Community
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Candice Chan in Religion
REVERENCE FOR ART: Attendees of the show “God Doesn’t Like Ugly” at Church of St. Paul the Apostle, enjoyed works by fifteen artists on October 1st, 2009. The exhibition is one of the unique ways St. Paul’s has reached out to the community in the last few years.
By Candice Chan
The pews in the chapel at Church of St. Paul the Apostle are empty, and no priest stands in the pulpit to deliver a sermon. Hanging on the walls and nestled by St. Catherine’s altar and a cross bearing Jesus Christ are multi-colored paintings, cardboard bishops and a graphic design of Jesus holding the Apple Computers icon.
On October 1st, the Roman Catholic church at 60th Street and Columbus Avenue was transformed into a makeshift art gallery for the opening of its third annual art exhibition, God Doesn’t Like Ugly. Fifteen featured artists, the local art community and parishioners from St. Paul’s were brought together by the church’s artist outreach program, Openings.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come tonight,” said Akiko Ichikawa, 34, a self-proclaimed former Catholic and local artist. “I felt like the Paulists were trying to convert me.”
It’s a perception that many who aren’t affiliated with the Catholic Church are familiar with. Though in many ways St. Paul’s is a traditional Roman Catholic church, even built in 1885 to resemble early Italian cathedrals, the church’s progressive attitude is attracting new parishioners from the world of the arts and the gay and lesbian community of the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
Since 2006, the parish has seen a growing lesbian and gay contingent that now comprises 15 percent of the Church’s registered members.
“Some people have told me, ‘I had no problem coming out gay, I had a problem coming out Catholic,’” said Father Gil. “They’re perceived as ‘giving into the oppressor’ and sometimes have difficulty being accepted by other gay guys.”
With a gay leadership committee, prayer groups and even social mixers geared towards gay parishioners, the church has carved out a niche for a previously estranged group. The priest’s outreach to the gay community is a bold move. Just nine months ago, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed that the church “demands that the order of creation be respected.”
But, Father Gil said, Catholic doctrine actually calls for a separate gay and lesbian ministry. The only catch is the ministry’s central focus on celibacy. Since Catholic doctrine holds that unmarried couples are supposed to remain celibate, the church maintains an overt don’t ask-don’t tell mentality with both homosexual and heterosexual couples.
“Father Gil is very overt about it,” said J.P. Regalado, 32, one of the featured artists in God Doesn’t Like Ugly. “When he has a sermon, he’ll say, ‘Well, everyone has to be accepted if you’re gay or you’re straight.”
St. Paul’s isn’t the only Roman Catholic church who welcomes the gay community into its parish. St. Francis Xavier Church in Chelsea is widely known in the city for its gay population and ministry, but St. Paul’s is the only church in the neighborhood that has doubled as an occasional art gallery.
Father Frank Sabatté, founder of the art ministry and director of the Openings exhibit, said the new parishioners are helping the church as much as the church may be helping them.
“This is a place where we can have a conversation,” Father Sabatté said. “It’s an exchange that’s changing both of us.”
In the last two years Father Sabatté, who is an artist that works in embroidery and sculpture, attended 200 art exhibitions and openings. Some were at local galleries, but many were at the School of the Visual Arts, Hunter College, Cooper Union and even Columbia University to meet new artists and find out what inspires them. Father Sabatté came to New York City after the Paulist fathers asked him to work on artist outreach. In doing so, he has attracted local art enthusiasts who would never have thought of stepping into a church. He said art is a tool he uses to communicate with others about spirituality.
“Many of these people have never had a priest talk to them,” said Father Sabatte. “They’ve been alienated or hurt, and many are ex-Catholics. They’re just happy that the church is listening.”
But not all members of the church are happy with the new parishioners. Each time St. Paul’s announces an event for the gay and lesbian community from the pulpit, the priests receive at least half a dozen letters from parishioners with questions. Three letters in the last two years have been from parishioners who decided to leave the church.
Yet, the vast majority of their community is supportive and open.
“This is their church, too,” said Kathleen McGrath, 82. “It’s not our place to question their lifestyle. That’s between [them] and God. They have a home here.”
McGrath has been part of the St. Paul’s community for over 40 years. She said the church has always been open, but in the last few years new staff has pushed community outreach resulting in much more parish diversity.
On October 1st, almost 300 gatherers came to St. Paul’s to admire the artwork on display. A confluence of long-time parishioners, local artists and their friends enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, wine, and good company strolling from altar to altar, gazing at artwork.
“We’re trying to bridge gaps by being present,” Father Gil said.
