Pride Parade 2025 Thank You

Dear friends in Christ~

What a magnificent witness we shared at Birmingham's Pride Parade on Saturday! Our parish's participation was extraordinary—a vibrant testament to the love of Christ and our commitment to justice, dignity, and the radical hospitality that is at the heart of the Gospel and Saint Andrew's love for Birmingham.

With 148 people signing on and over 100 walking together, Saint Andrew's fielded the largest entry in the entire parade. But beyond the numbers, what truly moved me was witnessing the many hours of faithful preparation that made our witness possible—truly a labor of love in service to our LGBTQIA+ siblings and neighbors.

My gratitude goes out first to the dedicated members of St. Aelred's Guild and the Pride Committee, whose careful planning and coordination continue to make this ministry possible. The creativity and devotion of the Red Egg Guild volunteers, who lovingly decorated over 500 eggs with olive wood crosses, creating beautiful symbols of new life and hope. The artistry of our flower-making volunteers, who crafted over 1,000 paper flowers, transformed our gathering into a garden of celebration. And we celebrate the ministry of coordination that brought together waivers, vehicles, decorations, and the countless details that allowed us to walk together in unity.

I'm also deeply grateful for our diocesan partners who joined us in this witness, and for parishes throughout Birmingham and across the state who stood with us to proclaim that the Episcopal Church is indeed a place where all are welcome, all are loved, and all are valued as beloved children of God.

As someone who arrived at Saint Andrew's almost two years ago and experienced the Pride Parade for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the joy, the beauty, and the profound sense of purpose that filled our community. Each step we took was indeed a living prayer—a proclamation that love is stronger than hate, that the dignity of our neighbors cannot be diminished, and that justice is not just an ideal but a calling we actively pursue.

This Pride Parade represents one of our largest annual outreach efforts, and it embodies so beautifully what it means to live out our baptismal vows. In promising to strive for justice and peace, to respect the dignity of every human being, and to seek and serve Christ in all persons, we don't simply speak words—we walk them out, literally and figuratively, in the streets of our city.

Where love is, God is there. And in our presence together—joyful, colorful, fearless—Christ was present in Birmingham, working through us as his hands and feet in a world that needs our witness to the transforming power of unconditional love.

This ministry stands at the very heart of Saint Andrew's vocation in our city and diocese. Every act of love, every step of advocacy, every moment of solidarity is gathered into God's larger work of healing and transformation in our world. Together, we are part of that beautiful, ongoing work of redemption.

Thank you to every person who planned, prepared, walked, cheered, and supported this ministry. We've shown just what the love of Christ looks like when it moves from the altar to the street!

Yours in Christ~

Fr. Peter