As Pride Month begins, Lincoln church wants LGBTQ Catholics to know they are welcome

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Catholic church in Lincoln is reaching out to the LGBTQ community during Pride Month.

The Rev. Nathan Hall, the pastor of North American Martyrs Catholic Church in Lincoln, said it’s so important for the Catholic Church to welcome the LGBTQ+ community.

“I think it’s actually great to start with the joys or the commonalities,” he said. “And the human person is meant to be known and loved, and that’s something that resonates with, I would say, both the culture and the Catholic Church. So we have to start there.”

Hall taught morality to high schoolers for many years, and he noticed some areas where the church could improve.

“The Catholic Church has fallen short here of giving the full truth,” he said. “Sometimes when people receive the truth, it’s either hidden away, so they’re only getting components of it, or it’s like a hammer used to kind of force, so I think there’s a lot of wounding around this area.”

Hall is partnering with a national organization.

“Eden Invitation is a movement for LGBTQ Catholics and Christians who want to remain close to church teachings, and it’s been amazing,” Hall said.

Within that group, Hall has a flock that comes to him for answers, and during a presentation on Monday, he highlighted strategies that could help LGBTQ Catholics through difficult experiences.

“Let them know that you love them, actually love them,” he said. “And then the words you say and the life you live is more of an invitation to something greater rather than a hammer.”