Fr. Peter has given his life in service to the people of God in a myriad of ways over the 30 years of his priesthood. From working with Mother Teresa and those suffering in the AIDS epidemic in the Bronx, to serving as a vicar in his diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., to his current role as chaplain for Paradisus Dei, a ministry supporting marriages and families, Fr. Peter has always sought to be open to where God was leading him, seeing his calling to be that of a missionary, spreading God’s love wherever he is.

​“Three or four years ago, by providence, I got to sit across from Anna (Eden Invitation co-founder) at a conference,” says Elliot. “I did the whole, ‘So, what do you do?’ She gave me a two-minute crash course in the hole that she perceived, and the way Eden Invitation was trying to answer that. It was still taking shape, but she was so crystal clear as to the why, that my jaw was on the table..."

Belonging. It’s something we need, something we seek, and something that, once found, is of inestimable value. There is something so human about the desire to fit, to feel welcome, to find a space that feels like “home.” And sadly, for many of our brothers and sisters who experience same-sex desires or gender discordance, the search for belonging is often particularly elusive.

In a corner of the world where interactions between Christians and LGBTQ groups are often characterized by hostility, something unique happened to bring a community together. St. Mary’s Catholic Center serves the students at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and last month, they hosted a virtual talk featuring Eden Invitation’s Anna Carter.