Holy Union ceremony celebrated by Fr. Robert Mary Clement, early 1970s

Holy Union ceremony celebrated by Fr. Robert Mary Clement, early 1970s

This photograph captures one of the Church of the Beloved Disciple's Holy Union ceremonies, officiated by Fr. Robert Mary Clement before a large congregation at an unidentified location. Following a liturgy modeled closely on the Christian marriage rite, the couple exchanged vows and rings as the community gathered to witness and bless their covenant. Throughout the 1970s, these public ceremonies offered LGBTQ couples a sacramental affirmation of their relationships decades before civil marriage equality became a reality in the United States.

Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com

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