“A treasure...a

wise and entertaining book that should appeal to the spiritual pilgrim in all

of us, no matter what the faith and no matter whether believer or nonbeliever.”

– Chicago

Tribune

The New York

Times bestselling author of The

Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A

Pilgrimage turns his attention to the

relationship between LGBT Catholics and the Church in this loving, inclusive,

and revolutionary book.

A powerful call for tolerance,

acceptance, and support—and a reminder of Jesus' message for us to love one

another. In this moving and inspiring book, Martin offers a powerful, loving,

and much-needed voice in a time marked by anger, prejudice, and divisiveness.

On the day after the Orlando

nightclub shooting, James Martin S.J. posted a video on Facebook in which

he called for solidarity with our LGBT brothers and sisters. "The largest

mass shooting in US history took place at a gay club and the LGBT community has

been profoundly affected," he began. He then implored his fellow Catholics—and

people everywhere—to "stand not only with the people of Orlando but also

with their LGBT brothers and sisters." Father Martin's post went viral and

was viewed more than 1.6 million times.

Adapted from an address he

gave to New Ways Ministry, a group that ministers to and advocates for LGBT

Catholics, Building a Bridge provides a roadmap for

repairing and strengthening the bonds that unite all of us as God's children.

Martin uses the image of a two-way bridge to enable LGBT Catholics

and the Church to come together in a call to end the "us" versus

"them" mentality. Turning to the Catechism, he draws on the three

criteria at the heart of the Christian ministry—"respect, compassion, and

sensitivity"—as a model for how the Catholic Church should relate to the LGBT

community.

WINNER OF THE LIVING NOW

BOOK AWARD IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM/CHARITY.