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"Two gay men ordained priests"
Dublin Core
Title
"Two gay men ordained priests"
Description
Press release issued by the Church of the Beloved Disciple, authored by Robert Bradley, announcing the ordination of John Darcy Noble and Leo M. Joseph on April 20, 1974. The statement proclaimed the ordinations as the first known instance of two openly acknowledged gay men being ordained to the apostolic priesthood with the full knowledge and acceptance of their sexual orientation by all participants. It also introduced the Church of the Beloved Disciple to the wider public as an apostolic Christian community serving New York City's gay community and invited readers to attend its services at 348 West 14th Street in Manhattan.
Source
Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com
Identifier
CBD_051
Citation
“"Two gay men ordained priests"”, Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed September 13, 2026, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/cbd/item/2711.
