The Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore has opened a special help desk for transgender persons at Kadarkarai Sagaya Madha Church in Ennore, Chennai.
The new initiative was blessed and opened by Archbishop George Antony Samy. The help desk aims to offer spiritual support, mental health counselling, and help with employment for transgender persons, especially in and around Chennai.
The desk is located inside the parish premises and is seen as one of the first efforts of its kind in the Catholic Church in India. It hopes to support a community that has often faced rejection and discrimination in society and even within the Church.
The initiative is led by Fr. Leo Joseph along with Inba Ignatius, founder of the Snegidhan Snegidhi Trust. The trust is known for helping transgender persons with shelter and job opportunities.
Fr. Joseph said he began this work after seeing the struggles faced by many transgender people during his earlier ministry in Chennai. He said many were afraid to take part in Church activities because of past experiences of exclusion.
Inba Ignatius also shared that she had once been an active Catholic but later felt rejected after her gender transition.
An eight-member committee of priests, religious sisters, laypeople, and transgender representatives has been formed to guide the project.
Church leaders hope the new desk will help transgender persons feel accepted, respected, and welcomed in parish life.
