Oregon Catholic School St. Mary’s Academy welcomes LGBT staff

From Think Progress: Catholic School That Fired Lesbian Employee Reverses Course, Now Accepts Openly LGBT Workers by Jack Jenkins

In what may be a historic first, a Catholic school that ended a contract with a teacher for being openly gay has reversed course, challenging Church teaching by instituting hiring polices that welcome LGBT people. continue

A statement by from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland Oregon says: 

“St. Mary’s is a diverse community that welcomes and includes gay and lesbian students, faculty, alumnae, parents and friends, including those that are married.”

There has been no statement yet from Portland’s Bishop but his spokesman reminds us that “Canon law does say that the bishop does have oversight or jurisdiction” over St. Mary’s.

The RCC and it's Bishops are clinging to a stunted version of morality left over from a distant and more ignorant past.  It's time for the RCC Bishops to hear from and listen to the People of God who sit in their pews and overwhelmingly support justice and equality for LGBT people.

While the new policy is out of step with the position of the Catholic hierarchy, it is far more in line with the deeply progressive bent of American Catholicism: Over 60 percent of U.S. Catholics support marriage equality.

We call on the Bishop of Portland to re-affirm St. Mary's Academy's new employment policy.  In addition, we urge the Bishop to extend this LGBT inclusive and welcoming employment policy to the entire diocese and to all Catholic Institutions under his authority in Cannon Law.