What Is Pride Sunday?

Beginning in the pews and ending in the streets, Pride Sunday (this year on June 29) makes a powerful statement: God’s love includes everyone, no exceptions.

“It’s a day we remember that each of us — and in particular our LGBTQ+ siblings — is formed with divine precision and purpose,” says the Rev. Michael Bird, Trinty’s vicar. “The abundant diversity of our human family is a blessing from our creator God.”

Praying As One People

At all three worship services, the Prayers of the People — the moment in the liturgy we bring our shared concerns and gratitude to God — are written especially for the day. Together we thank God for the gift of our gender identities, sexualities, and bodies, then recommit to making the church a “place of refuge and blessing for all people.”

Many of the petitions highlight facets of God’s character based on the symbolism of the original Pride flag: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, indigo for serenity, and purple for spirit.

In these prayers, and in the bulletin, we commemorate modern-day Pride’s roots in New York City and remember those whose sacrifice has paved the road toward justice: On June 28, 1969, a group of LGBTQ+ people resisted a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the West Village. Now known as the Stonewall Uprising, this bold act of resistance is recognized as the birth of the gay liberation movement in the United States.

Meditating on Love

“The music choices for Pride Sunday worship are not unlike other Sundays,” says Melissa Attebury, director of music. “They reflect our mission of inclusion and welcome to all.” Representing multiple genres and artists, the selections are crafted to complement, and perhaps illuminate, the themes and Scriptures for the day.

This year’s communion anthem, “When Love Speaks” by award-winning composer Owain Park, is based on Shakespeare’s well-known Sonnet 116. Its meditations on the steadfast courage of love echo the Apostle Paul’s words in his letter to the Galatians — “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” — which are part of our readings for the day.

As the services ends, the recessional hymn encourages congregants to “go forth for God, go to the world in love.”

Marching for Justice

Love is not merely a nice sentiment; it’s a force for change in the world and our calling in this moment, writes the Rev. Phil Jackson, Trinity’s rector. “It’s our role to relentlessly insist we honor the dignity of every person — in our neighborhood, in our city, and across the globe.”

To that end, each year Trinity parishioners and staff walk with Episcopalians from across the Diocese of New York in the NYC Pride March, an annual civil rights demonstration that began one year after the Stonewall Uprising. The theme in 2025 is Rise Up: Pride in Protest. While the registration deadline to walk in the march has passed, you’re welcome to join as a spectator.

Join us in person or online for Pride Sunday worship at Trinity Church, Sunday, June 29, at 8am, 9am, and 11:15am.