Radiant Faith: A new LGBTQ+ centered gathering in downtown Erie

The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul in downtown Erie is no stranger to uplifting and ministering to the queer community. The congregation was an early adopter of proactive support; in 1989 they launched an HIV/AIDS ministry, in 1994 they hosted the first of multiple visits of the AIDS quilt to Erie, and even today, many of the weddings held at the cathedral are for LGBTQ+ couples.

The Cathedral of St. Paul, now part of the Erie Episcopal ministry partnership with St. Mark Episcopal Church, continues to find timely and relevant ways to minister to the community. With federal funding for mental health resources being cut, Erie Episcopal is stepping into the gap to help support the wellbeing of queer people.

In Fall, 2025, Erie Episcopal launched Radiant Faith, a queer-centric gathering focused on providing uplifting worship, wonder, and welcome for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. This monthly gathering of social time and worship is in partnership with Compton's Table. The 7 pm monthly worship service will be preceded by a dinner gathering at 6 pm, and followed up with an optional debrief led by facilitators from Compton's.

Knowing that so many members of the queer community have had negative experiences with churches, the local Episcopal Church is committed to provide a different kind of experience. Radiant Faith is unique because it is intentionally being designed with a trauma-informed approach. Tyler Titus, Founder and Chair of Compton's Table, has been helping structure embodied, experiential components of the prayer service, that are designed to facilitate healing from trauma.

The worship service will be held in the Chapel at the Cathedral of St. Paul (134 W 7th St) and it will include communal singing, a scripture reading, prayer intentions, and time for self-guided prayer stations such as candle-lighting and artwork. Local musicians will be guests each month, to offer a prelude and postlude that is meaningful to them.

Whether someone grew up in a Christian space and is processing religious trauma from an un-affirming environment, or is a spiritual-but-not-religious seeker open to exploration, or something in between, Radiant Faith has been designed with all of those folks in mind. It will also be meaningful for allies who wonder what a Christian worship experience would look like that focuses on praising God while intentionally affirming the inherent dignity of this community.

Childcare is also provided from 6-8 pm, so kiddos are welcome to join in the service, or they can have a safe, supervised space to play throughout.

Have questions about Radiant Faith, or want to get involved? Contact Jessie Hubert at Erie Episcopal: jhubert@cathedralofstpaul.org

About the Author

Jessie Hubert Jessie Hubert (she/her) is passionate about making sacred spaces accessible to people on the margins, including LGBTQ+ folks, families, and young people. She works full-time at Erie Episcopal as the Director of Family & Children Ministry, and she also works as Community Liaison for nationally touring musician, Ben Sollee. Jessie has a B.A. in English from Allegheny College and an M.P.A. from Gannon University.