Church leader pushes for gay acceptance

After growing up under the guidance of his uncle, a gay, blue-collar worker from Somerville, Father Paul Bresnahan of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Salem said he was raised to love all people, regardless of their sexual orientation and called for the religious recognition, acceptance and celebration of homosexuality.

Bresnahan spoke about the Episcopalian Church's views on homosexuality at the Church of St. John the Evangelist on Bowdoin Street Wednesday night.

Bresnahan said he hopes there will be a day when all religions come together and accept homosexuality. 

"There has to be a time when folks of the Book and folks of religious traditions all recognize that there's room in God's love for everyone," he said.

Bresnahan said he became a strong proponent of inclusiveness in the church after observing firsthand the relationship between his uncle and his uncle's male partner.

"The only person in my family to have a stable relationship was my gay uncle," he said.

Bresnahan recalled seeing his uncle Al come home after being beaten by people who did not understand Al's sexual orientation.

"When my uncle died, I officiated the funeral," he said. "There was only one person in attendance. It was his partner of 50 years, and it was just a breathtakingly beautiful moment. That was when I became deeply wedded to the idea that the church has to grow up."

Bresnahan said the church focuses on the subject of homosexuality too much, and in doing so ignores more the important issues.

"We are all being distracted from all these other issues, like the environment, by the question of whether people can love each other," he said. "It's daft."

 Bresnahan acknowledged that many different religious denominations struggle with acceptance of homosexuality, but he said the struggle was necessary for the church to keep up with the times.

 "It's going to be tough, but the world will teach the church," he said. "The world is going way ahead of us, and we need to catch [up] or be left behind."

Bresnahan's gay son, David Bresnahan, introduced his father at the event and spoke of his gratitude for the acceptance his family has given him and called his father his "personal hero."

"I feel very fortunate that it's always been a non-issue," he said. "I definitely consider myself pretty lucky."

David said he is optimistic for the future of the church, and its relationship with its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members.

 "I really think that we're already moving in a progressive way," David said. "We're moving in a way to purposefully be inclusive of all people, and I think it opens the doors to all sorts of people to use their gifts to help their community."

Elaine Cronin, who attended the event because the topic interested her, said she supported the message of inclusivity in the church.

"No matter what their sexuality, race or religion, we have a moral obligation to include them."