“It’s not necessarily a religious affiliation, (One Spirit) is just based on the common belief that all human beings are on a spiritual journey, and it should be made with other people,” Inglot said.

The group, which isn’t solely made up of Roman Catholics, meets once a month on MSU’s campus. About 20 to 25 LBGT students and allies are on its e-mail subscription list, with the number of active participants fluctuating, Inglot said.

It was founded about five years ago by an LBGT group that met at the parish and wanted to reach out more, he said.

“One Spirit didn’t want to do a group that was politically or socially based — it’s about spirituality,” he said.

During their meetings, members have reflection time, share their journeys and hungers, discuss topics selected by the group and verbally meditate, Inglot said.

The group acts as a support system for members who might just be coming out and want support for when they tell their friends and parents, he said. It also helps them to feel like they have a place within the parish and dispel any fears they might have, he said.

Respecting Individuals on Neutral Grounds, or RING, President David Jaques said he’s found many LBGT students turn toward an inner spirituality or open and tolerant churches. Although he’s not very religious himself, he said many people have found traditional religious backgrounds aren’t normally accepting.

“No matter if a person is gay or straight, I still feel like people can be spiritual,” he said. “Whether that’s en masse or personal — that’s up to the person themselves.”

Although the premise of One Spirit might be unique within the Catholic Church, Inglot said it’s common for campus ministries, which tend to be more progressive, to have outreach to LBGT students.

“This is just one of the natural ways we minister to the students, faculty and staff,” he said.

A controversial subject for the church, Inglot said the church’s official teachings don’t say homosexual orientation is not sinful, but engaging in homosexual activity is.

“That’s the conundrum for some people,” he said.

Amy DeRogatis, associate professor of religion and American culture, said if a person is Catholic and believe they are homosexual from birth, it wouldn’t be seen as a sin. Homosexual acts, because the purpose would not be procreation, would be seen as sinful, as using birth control would be, she said.

“Typically, when a Catholic church associates itself with a university or students, it tends to be more liberal with Catholicism,” she said.