St. John\u2019s Shaughnessy, having ejected over 800 people from its former congregation, is finally seeing the fruit of its labours: one same-sex couple. It only took three years.<\/p>\n
From here<\/a>:<\/p>\n When I visited St. John\u2019s, Shaughnessy for the first time I was immediately taken by how committed the congregation was to welcoming new worshippers and how committed everyone was to the mission of the church. Everyone shook my hand and asked me to come back. I eventually came back more often and now have chosen to become a parishioner at St John\u2019s.<\/p>\n Eventually Douglas and I requested to have our marriage blessed at St. John\u2019s, Shaughnessy. The Parish Council granted this permission and every parishioner that spoke to me about our Blessing Ceremony was encouraging, supportive and joyful for our happiness. As much as my rebirth as a Christian began before I attended St. John\u2019s, this experience has given me deep conviction to the church and specifically to the ministry of St. John\u2019s, Shaughnessy.<\/p>\n At our reception, after the Blessing Ceremony, a friend summed up my feeling more than I could say. He said that in our lifetime, as same-sex partners, we could never have imagined that we could ever legally marry. \u201cAnd to have a Blessing Ceremony in a church is almost un-believable and to have this occur in a church that was so welcoming is just beyond my wildest dreams.\u201d I felt like he had read my heart.<\/p>\n I am so grateful to everyone at St John\u2019s for making me feel so welcome and allowing me to fully participate in Christian life without reservation because it allows me to feel God\u2019s love and to love all of you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" St. John\u2019s Shaughnessy, having ejected over 800 people from its former congregation, is finally seeing the fruit of its labours: one same-sex couple. It only took three years. From here: When I visited St. John\u2019s, Shaughnessy for the first time … Continue reading