by Kittredge Cherry | | Artists, Books
A gay Roman Catholic priest reveals his adventurous life and ministry in the cartoon-style memoir “My Life: as a Boy, Priest, Gay Man, and Artist” by Jan Haen. During more than a half-century of priesthood, Jan Haen found surprising ways to unite his inclusive...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Feb 16-29, Oct 1-15, Saints
John Henry Newman, a 19th-century British scholar, theologian and cardinal, was canonized by the Pope as a Roman Catholic saint in 2019 amid rampant speculation that he was gay. Newman’s feast day is Oct. 9 in the Roman Catholic church, Feb. 21 in the Episcopal Church...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
Saint Galla of Rome was a sixth-century widow who avoided remarriage by growing a beard. She founded a hospital and convent, and begged to have her female beloved Benedicta accompany her into heaven. Galla’s feast day is Oct. 5 and Benedicta’s is May 6. Galla was...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Oct 1-15, Saints
Historical records reveal a queer side to Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time. The 13th-century friar is celebrated for loving animals, hugging lepers, embracing poverty and praying for peace, but few know about his love for...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
There’s good reason to believe that Good King Wenceslas was gay. Yes, the king in the Christmas carol. His feast day is Sept. 28. Saint Wenceslaus I (907–935) was duke of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). The carol “Good King Wenceslas” is based on a...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
Hildegard of Bingen was a medieval German mystic, poet, artist, composer, healer and scientist — and likely lesbian. She loved another nun named Richardis and wrote with ecstasy about the Virgin Mary. She celebrated God’s green web of life as “viriditas.” Her...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
Maurice and Theofredus are third-century martyr-saints and soldiers of Thebes with a homosocial bond. They are shown as a same-sex pair in Renaissance art. Maurice’s feast day is Sept. 22 in the Catholic tradition and Dec. 27 in the Orthodox tradition. Theofredus is...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
The Black Madonna of Czestochowa, one of the most famous Catholic icons, is the model for a Haitian Vodou goddess who protects lesbians. Traditional images of Erzulie Dantor, the Vodou defender of lesbians, are based on the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, whose feast...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
Bernard of Clairvaux was a medieval French abbot who wrote homoerotic poetry about Jesus and had a passionate same-sex friendship with Irish archbishop Malachy of Armagh. Bernard is best known for founding 70 monasteries around Europe and for his mystical writings....
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints
A queer Christ figure is the main character in the classic lesbian novel, “The Well of Loneliness” by Radclyffe Hall. She was born on Aug. 12, 1880 in Bournemouth, England. The book was banned for obscenity in England in 1928, not just because it portrayed lesbian...