About Us

About Us?

The association

La Tenda di Gionata, was founded in 2018 by some volunteers from the Jonathan Project at the request of Don David Esposito, a priest of the diocese of Fermo (Marche) who passed away prematurely, who wanted to give birth to a reality of service (διακονία) that would favor thehospitalitythe training el'information of LGBT Christians, their family members and pastoral workers, as well as dialogue on these issues with the different Christian realities. In order for them to be “more and more sanctuaries of welcome and support for LGBT people and for every person affected by discrimination” and can fully implement what it states Gaudium et spes, when he observes that: «The joys and hopes, the sadness and anxieties of today's men, especially the poor and all those who suffer, are also the joys and hopes, sadness and anxieties of Christ's disciples.".

The Jonathan project

Gionata is a cultural volunteering project aimed at “know the journey that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Christians take every day in their communities and in the various Churches”, so that these experiences can help society and the Churches to open up to understanding and welcoming homosexual people.

It all started with a chat between friends during a spiritual retreat, which continued with passion and dedication during the preparation of the Vigil against homophobia in June 2007. From that spark, in September 2007, a concrete reality was born with the creation of the Gionata portal .org. Since then, the Gionata Project has continued its journey, welcoming and responding to the new needs that have emerged in the LGBT+ Christian community, in their families and in the Churches.

With patience and determination, we are committed to following the slow but necessary path of openness that the Christian Churches are facing on these complex issues.

Even today, the Gionata Project is carried out exclusively by volunteers scattered throughout Italy, coming from different training paths (movements, LGBT Christian groups, experiences of consecrated life). On the web, our task is to talk about faith and LGBT Christians, sharing life testimonies and recounting the pastoral experiences underway in the Churches. We want to give voice to the journey - often little known - of LGBT Christian groups, because we believe that the time has come to start a serious, calm and constructive discussion on these issues.

Since June 2009, the Gionata Project has joined the European Forum of lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender Christian groups.

Since March 2018, we are supported by the Christian Association "La Tenda di Gionata", founded by some volunteers at the request of Don David Esposito, priest of the diocese of Fermo, who died prematurely. Don David dreamed of a service reality (διακονία) who favored, in Italy, the welcome, training and information of LGBT Christians, their families and pastoral workers. The goal is to promote dialogue on these themes in the different Christian realities.

If you feel the desire to join this journey of knowledge and dialogue, contact us. Your contribution can make a difference. We are waiting for you!

As a Christian voluntary association we want to commit ourselves to implementing initiatives that know "be a two-way bridge“, capable of encourage dialogue of LGBT Christians and their family members with pastoral workers and vice versa. We decided to engage primarily in three areas: reception, training and information.

Our volunteers

Since June 2007 and over the years, many people have collaborated on the Gionata project in many different ways, to give voice with their commitment to many stories and testimonies (translations, personal testimonies, articles) that tell how Christians live the faith LGBT. Behind each of these names there is a volunteer, behind each name there are many stories of commitment and work. Our thanks go to each of them, without their enthusiasm the Gionata Project would not exist and, if you want, add your voice to theirs.

How you can support us

Help us, become a translator of good news of the Gionata Project. There are many paths that attempt to reconcile "faith and homosexuality" in the Catholic Church and also in other churches. Help us tell them, help us translate the testimonies that describe them from English, French or Spanish. Become a "translator of good news” thus, word after word, new doors and new experiences of faith will open…
Remember Gionata is yours too, in fact the Gionata project only makes sense if you are there too, with your stories, your reflections, your letters, your hopes, your proposals... think about it. We are waiting for you.

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Mail

write to gionatanews@gmail.com