Elphick Archives - Q Spirit

Francis of Assisi: Queer side revealed for saint who loved creation, peace and the poor

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...

Blessed John of La Verna: Kissed by Jesus

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 1-15, Saints

Blessed John of La Verna is a medieval Italian friar known for his visions of kissing and being kissed by Jesus. His feast day is Aug. 9. John also had an intense relationship with fellow friar and poet Jacopone da Todi. Traditional writers have done “gender...

Marinos / Marina the Monk: Transgender parenting role model and patron saint

by Kittredge Cherry | | June 16-30, Saints

Marinos or Marina the Monk has been called a patron saint of transgender parenting or a cross-dressing saint. Assigned female at birth, Marina adopted the name Marinos and entered a monastery as a man in fifth-century Lebanon. Marinos embraced a male identity from...

Madre Juana de la Cruz: Queer saint of 16th-century Spain

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 1-15, Saints

Madre Juana de la Cruz Vázquez Gutiérrez was an abbess in 16th-century Spain who insisted that God changed her gender in the womb, transforming her from male to female. She dressed as a man to escape her family and join a community of religious women. Her feast day...

Medieval holy men Vivaldo and Bartolo: Love stronger than death for AIDS patrons

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 1-15, Saints

A pair of medieval holy men faced disease together with a love that speaks across the centuries to the LGBTQ community and all people in the age of COVID-19, AIDS and Ebola. Thirteenth-century Franciscans Blessed Bartolo and Blessed Vivaldo ministered in an Italian...