GNRC Assembly 2025 – A Series of Stories
As we prepare for the GNRC Assembly 2025 in Spain, we’re sharing a series of personal reflections from members around the world. Each story reveals how faith, identity, and community come together in unique and powerful ways among Rainbow Catholics. Today, we pass the microphone to Argel Oclarit from the Philippines.
My Rainbow Contemplative Journey with GNRC
By Argel Oclarit, Philippines
2017
(Dr Eva Callueng, me and Xiao Xiao aka Eros Shaw)
I first encountered fellow Rainbow Catholics from around the globe thanks to the warm invitation of Eros Shaw and the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC). This marked my very first experience of a GNRC General Assembly, held in Dachau, Germany.
That same year, something wonderful happened: Rainbow Catholics Philippines (RCPhil) was born—yes, in the land called Deutschland! Dr. Eva Callueng and I decided to co-found it, hoping to give LGBTQIA+ Catholics in the Philippines a voice and real representation in the Church we love and call home.
2017 was also deeply spiritual for me. I made my full oblation as a Benedictine Oblate with the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM), also known as the Monastery Without Walls. It’s a global community rooted in silence, stillness, and the Christian contemplative tradition. Being part of both GNRC and WCCM was healing—it affirmed that I, a gay person, also belonged in the Roman Catholic Church. Link to WCCM here: https://wccm.org/
This contemplative path within a Catholic spiritual tradition became a source of healing. It affirmed that I—an openly gay man—had a place in the Roman Catholic Church. I am forever grateful to Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB, an LGBTQIA+-affirming and supportive Benedictine monk and priest. Shortly after my oblation, he entrusted me with the role of National Oblate Coordinator for the Philippines. It was an affirmation not only of my spirituality, but of my whole self— Catholic and gay, or in my own Filipino language: isa akong “baklang Katoliko”
(picture of me with my WCCM family; sharing after meditation)
After the assembly in Germany, I was invited by then GNRC Co-Chairs Chris Vella and Ruby Almeida to chair the Spirituality and Faith Development Committee. I was humbled and happy to accept. Our initial committee members included Frans Bossink, a spiritual care practitioner from the Netherlands, and Jorg Richard Schonffeldt, a psychiatrist from Germany.
Fast forward to 2019
GNRC opened another door: I was invited to speak at Fordham University alongside fellow LGBTQIA+ activists Ssenfuka Joanita Warry (Executive Director of Freedom & Roam Uganda) and Carlos Navarro from Mexico. We shared stories about the joys and challenges of being Rainbow Catholics in our respective countries.
(Carlos Navarro and SSenfuka Joanita Warry)
Joanita and I became fast friends, bonding over shared struggles and hope. We spent many memorable days and nights in Chicago during GNRC’s General Assembly, deepening our connections with activists and spiritual companions from around the world.
There were also friends from Chrishom in Spain, and so many more whose names may not be listed here but whose impact remains deeply in my heart.
One very special encounter was with Fr. Peter Maher from Australia, who gave me the nickname “The Gentle Revolutionary.” He became a spiritual companion and collaborator with me until he passed away in 2022. I miss him dearly.
(Jorg Richard Schonffeldt on the left)
Another highlight was co-leading a Queer Spirituality Workshop with Jorg at the Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center in Chicago. There, we introduced participants to the beauty and power of Christian meditation, Centering Prayer, and other contemplative practices.
It was also in Chicago where I met Frank Testin, President of Dignity Toronto Dignité. We connected over our shared love for contemplative spirituality. I invited him to join our committee’s meetings, and since then, Frank, Jorg, and I have served as co-moderators of what we now call the Contemplative Spiritual Formation Committee. We renamed it to better reflect the spirituality we aim to cultivate—one that is gentle, inclusive, and deeply grounded in contemplation.
Since 2019, we have offered bi-weekly contemplative practices, including silent prayers, that help deepen our awareness of the divine presence within and among us. Learn more about our committee here: https://rainbowcatholics.org/spirituality/
2023 – Present
In 2023, we launched the Rainbow Stations of the Cross: The Journey Towards LGBTQ Equality. It’s based on artwork by Mary Button and reflections by Kittredge Cherry. More here: https://abravefaith.com/2021/04/02/stations-of-the-cross-the-struggle-for-lgbt-equality/
Each year, we invite queer spiritual leaders to reflect on the stations—and their insights are just so moving and powerful. Watch the recorded video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQYdMmUjCQ4 (with thanks to Frank Testin for editing it!).
Our committee continues to host bi-weekly contemplative online gatherings that strive to respond to the spiritual needs and lived realities of Rainbow Catholics globally.
We’ve organized webinars on significant events such as the release of Dignitas Infinita and reflections on the life and legacy of Pope Francis, all through contemplative and prophetic lenses.
In conclusion…
My journey with GNRC has been nothing short of sacred. It has brought together my identities as a contemplative, a Catholic, and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Through the grace of deep listening, shared silence, friendship across borders, and global solidarity, I have experienced healing, purpose, and belonging.
This path has not always been easy, but it’s been full of grace. And I’ll keep walking it—with gentleness, hope, and with my ever-growing Global Network of Rainbow Catholic family beside me. Looking forward to seeing you all in Spain for the GNRC Assembly 2025!