Recently the Vestry of St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome passed the following resolution by majority vote to be made public to the Bishop, Clergy, Wardens and Vestries in the Convocation of American Churches in Europe and its readers of Europeconvo. The purpose of the resolution is to clarify the sentiments that the Vestry of St. Paul's feels with regard to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, before our Convocation delegates go to General Convention where the issues will be formally raised.

Whereas we, as an elected representative body of St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome, feel spiritually obliged to react and respond to the Church's current debate concerning human sexuality and relationships, not only of our gay brothers and sisters in this community, but also in the Church at large;

and whereas we believe the Church in New Hampshire has been inspired and moved by God's Holy Spirit in calling Gene Robinson as Bishop and in so doing has urged the Church at large to respect the dignity of faithful gay and lesbian persons within our Episcopal Church;

and whereas we are single-minded with a regard to upholding our mission statement, which declares that St. Paul's mission is "to bear witness in Rome to a dynamic and living Christian faith, open to all and rejecting none";

and whereas we, in this multicultural and multilingual parish, who minister daily to an interfaith refugee community and who cherish the gifts of diversity, inclusion and tolerance of all God's people, are carrying out this Gospel witness within our own parish community and also praying that this become a reality within the larger community of the Episcopal church;

and whereas it is imperative that our elected delegates to General Convention know the sentiments of the elected leadership in this Convocation;

therefore, be it resolved that we encourage the Vestries and Executive Committees of our Convocation to meet, discuss and to place themselves on record along with us, publicly endorsing or in good faith withholding endorsement not only for the election of Gene Robinson, but also for the related issues concerning gay and lesbian Episcopalians.


(signed)

Peggy Polk (USA), senior warden
Ben Oduwole (Nigeria), junior warden
Maria Grazia Rizzo (Italy), clerk
Khacki Berry (USA)
Merritt Cluff (USA)
Cynthia Okonkwo (Nigeria)
Maritza Perez (Ecuador)
Angel Radford (USA)

The Rev. Dr. Michael L. Vono, (USA) Rector
Aldo Erazo (Ecuador), Lay Pastoral Leader