尋找社區：一位雙性戀天主教徒在聖喬大學的經歷分享

On a journey to find community: a bisexual Catholic's story at St. Joe's

當我踏上尋找大學的旅程時，我心中有一個堅定不移的目標：找到一所具有強烈社區意識的學校。我深知，社區的建立並非一蹴而就，它需要持續的努力和關注。因此，當我來到聖喬，我立志要全心投入，不僅是融入校園社區，更是積極參與其培育。我在這裡鼓勵每一位讀者，也來加入這樣的努力。

作為一名雙性戀天主教徒，我經常遇到人們對我的身份感到困惑。當我分享這部分自我時，許多人似乎不知如何反應，他們好奇這兩種身份如何能和諧共存。甚至有人認為，我的電子郵件簽名中同時擔任校園事工中的禮儀和音樂同行部長，以及SJUPride秘書的角色，是一種矛盾。然而，我有自己的神學信念，這些信念讓我能夠舒適地接受這兩種有時看似衝突的身份。

However, this personal sense of belonging is lost if it is not embraced by the Catholic Church and the LGBTQIA+ community. I often felt like I was wearing two hats, attending Mass one day and Pride the next. There aren't many spaces on campus where I can feel both bisexual and Catholic.

However, I have found Wolfington Hall, home to Campus Ministry, to be a place where I can feel completely accepted. I have always felt a warm welcome whenever I have stepped foot here, especially when attending "Spiritual Coming Out," an Affinity Christian Leadership Community (CLC) led by Maeve DeNardo '25 and Alex DiGiacomo '26, where we explore spiritual and gender issues. The CLC is a place where we explore spiritual and gender issues.

The concept of "Hawkmates" also blurs my identity as a bisexual Catholic at St. Joe's Are LGBTQ couples invited to alumni events targeting couples, such as Hawkmates Masses? I think our campus needs more LGBTQ advocates. I hope that members of the Coalition (an LGBTQ support group of faculty, staff, and administrators) will be more recognized in our community as advocates, not just allies. I long for my LGBTQ friends to experience the same strong sense of community that I felt when I entered Wolfington Hall.

At St. Joe's, I learned that community is more than just a place, it's a feeling, a feeling of acceptance and support. Each of us should strive to be that person who makes others feel like they belong and are accepted, regardless of our faith or sexual orientation. In this journey, we are not just looking for a community, we are creating one.