About 150 Catholics gathered Thursday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church to weigh in on how the church can better serve families and communicate its teachings on families.

It was one of four public town hall meetings on the topic hosted by Bishop William Medley in the Owensboro diocese. Pope Francis asked bishops to listen to people of their diocese about the topic and report their comments to him in time for the upcoming synod of bishops in Rome addressing “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary Wold.”

“When the pope said, ‘You need to listen,’ I tried to take him seriously,” Medley said. “My job here tonight is to listen to what you have to say.”

Dozens of people spoke during the meeting, sharing their thoughts on how the church can more effectively address topics such as annulment, the sanctity of life and homosexuality. Many people shared personal stories, including their struggle to get an annulment and the challenges of making their children see church as a priority.

Among the suggestions people had were to make the church’s teachings on family more accessible and to educate young people about them from an earlier age. Several people said the annulment process should be easier and less expensive.

The discussion became heated when it came to the topic of homosexuality.

After the moderator asked the crowd how Catholics can respond better to people of same-sex attraction and their families, a St. Joseph parishioner who did not identify herself said the Catholic Church loves everybody.

“They don’t love the sin, but they love the sinner,” the woman said. “A moral wrong can never be a civil right. Homosexuality is not a race, it’s a condition, though I hate to call it a condition.”

Donna Lauth, a Holy Spirit member whose son is gay, said homosexuality is not a condition. 

“My son was born that way,” she said. “I can tell you straight out that he would have done anything to not be gay.”

Lauth said the church should “either accept everybody and love them the way God would, or don’t even bother at all.”

She was glad for the chance to express her views to church leaders.

“They need to listen to us,” she said. “Listening to us and getting some ideas, maybe there will be a change. You can only hope.”

Jack Thomas, a parishioner at Holy Spirit, was also grateful to have a forum where he could share his thoughts.

“It’s long overdue,” he said. “It took a pope with vision, a bishop with vision and a pastor with vision to not be afraid.”

Thomas commented during the meeting that many people shared experiences of how they were hurt by the church and he believes “that results from all of us being judges,” he said. “I think when we get judged or judge other people, we hurt them.”

Medley said he will communicate everyone’s thoughts when he writes to the pope, even those who represented opposing views.

“This is the church. It’s messy. It’s confusing,” he said. “It’s a complex world and it’s a complex church, but it’s a church I love. (We’re trying to) be the best church we can be. In the end, it’s going to be an imperfect church.”

—Follow faith/general assignments reporter Laurel Wilson on Twitter at twit ter.com/FaithinBG