In partnership with Emma Cieslik, Founder of the Queer and Catholic Oral History Project (QCOHP), and with support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Dignity Philadelphia will document the lives and experiences of our community. This includes current members, former members, friends of the group, current and former presiders, and more! Dignity Philadelphia will not only document the stories and history of our community, but will also contribute to the larger mission of QCOHP to show that LGBTQ+ Catholics have always existed and that none of our communities are a monolith. 

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From January - March 2026, organizers will meet with those interested in sharing their stories. We will hold a day-long History Day event on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, during which interviews will be conducted and recorded, and participants will bring in their materials to be scanned and cataloged. 

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By the end of the project, we will have scanned and digitized important photographs and documents, preserving key stories and organizational history of Dignity Philadelphia members. Dignity Philadelphia will have built relationships with community partners through engagement events. The stories collected will add to the QCOHP archive and contribute to its mission, becoming part of a larger, communal history of LGBTQ+ Catholics. We will create digital and physical resources for participants and the wider community, allowing them to access the memories, stories, and history we've preserved.

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