Cathedral of St. Mark

On the eve of Utah Pride Day, an interfaith service will be held for the local gay and lesbian community. “A Celebration of Hope and Healing” will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2002, at 7:00 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark (231 East 100 South).

The service will include the lighting of candles in remembrance of pain and as an expression of hope, a reflection by Rev. Lee Shaw, of St. James’s Episcopal Church, and a liturgy of healing. Shaw hopes that “this celebration of hope and healing will become an annual celebration of the spiritual side of our lives.”

The service is being planned by a committee which includes members of the Episcopal group Integrity, Affirmation, and MCC; the service will include participants from various faith traditions and gay/lesbian groups focused on spirituality. “This service will show that spirituality and being gay are not incongruent,” observes Nate Spofford, of Integrity Utah.

“This service is a way to stimulate people to share their faith and trust with others,” says Dee Bradshaw, Pastoral Leader of Sacred Light of Christ MCC. “You have the faith, you have the trust, that God is a vital part of your life.”

This will be the first time ever that an interfaith service has been held in connection with a Utah Pride celebration.