Private Catholic Pennsylvania School Chestnut Hill College Fires Openly Gay Father Jim St. George

Chestnut Hill College, a private Roman Catholic college in Pennsylvania, has fired Father Jim St. George, an openly gay theology professor, reports the Chestnut Hill Local, although the reason for his termination remains unclear. St. George has been the pastor of St. Miriam Catholic Church in Blue Bell for three years, and is part of the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of America, which allows its priests to be gay, straight, celibate, or married. St. George says he has been in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend for 15 years. St. George says the letter he received February 18th simply stated “Your services are no longer needed.” The 44 year old St. George says he would “hate to think” that his homosexuality was a factor in the school’s decision, adding “I don’t hide the fact that I’m openly gay.” He says that “Obviously (Chestnut Hill College) knew my parish, it was never hidden. But I never sat down and (that I’m gay) on paper.” St. George said he believed that an e-mail Blue Bell attorney James J. Pepper sent last week to Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, influenced his firing. Pepper forwarded the e-mail to Daily News columnist Ronnie Polaneczky, who reported that Pepper described St. George as “quite plainly a heretic” and that his teaching at a Catholic institution as a homosexual was “scandalous.” Pepper is a former high school teacher in the Philadelphia Archdiocesan school system. Phone calls to his office were unanswered. Archdiocesan spokesperson Donna Farrell confirmed that the Archdiocese had received the letter, but had not taken any action. “The Archdiocese had no conversations with Chestnut Hill College regarding [St. George],” she said. “Obviously this Jim Pepper has influence,” said St. George. “I think it has more to do with politics and money than with who I am as an individual.” Since last week, St. George has been besieged with phone calls, e-mails and text messages from his students offering their support. Chestnut Hill College senior Jessica Murray took one of St. George’s classes last fall. She found out about his firing on Tuesday. “To find this school that claims to be more spiritual than religious has fired him without warning … is ridiculous,” Murray said in an e-mail to the Local. “I am disgusted with this school and will not be returning to this school for my master’s degree,” and added that she has started a petition for Chestnut Hill College to rehire St. George. St. George said he never shared his homosexuality with his students because it was “not relevant” to the coursework. But in the classroom, he did like to “peel back the onion and find the truth” on a wide array of controversial issues.” St. George says “I would hope they would ask me back. But my mission and the rules they state have to be lived out, and I don’t see that.” Prior to his firing, St. George had been preparing for the start of one of his classes –“Theology and Justice.”