Archbishop Hartmayer forms LGBTQ+ Pastoral Affairs Commission - Georgia Bulletin

By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer | Published October 18, 2024
ATLANTA—Marija Pritchard found inspiration from her faith to organize food drives, build homes for Habit for Humanity and cook for families at the Ronald McDonald House as a student with her college’s Newman Catholic Center. Her passion for social justice and faith pushed her to earn an undergraduate degree in religious studies and a graduate degree in theology.
While she invested in her Catholic faith, Pritchard, 28, said at times she harbors doubts whether the Catholic community is equally invested in her due to her sexual orientation, which she embraced in her early 20s.
“I still love being Catholic and want to be involved. I wasn’t exactly sure if the church wanted to be involved with me.”
Pritchard now channels that same passion as a leader of a Bible study for LGBT young adults at St. Thomas More Church in Decatur, offering a space for others like her.
She sees hope in an initiative started by the Archdiocese of Atlanta …