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Catholic college fires gay professor

By Bonnie L. Cook Inquirer Staff Writer

MARK C. PSORAS / For the Daily News

Rev. James St. George was fired for engaging in a gay relationship, Chestnut Hill College said. (Mark C. Psoras/For the Daily News)

Chestnut Hill College said it fired a part-time professor for engaging in a same-sex relationship -- conduct which the institution said is "contrary to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church."

The college, in a statement, said it terminated the Rev. James St. George after he made "public statements of his involvement in a gay relationship with another man for the past 15 years." The statements apparently were in a blog.

The private Catholic school seemed to suggest that St. George had somehow misled the college during his hiring process. It appeared surprised to discover -- well after it hired him in 2009 to teach Bible studies and other subjects -- that he belonged to a branch of Catholicism that is not associated with the Vatican and allows priests to be actively gay.

St. George, in an interview Saturday, cheerfully said that, yes, he is gay and that, in fact, he recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of his relationship with his partner. He leads St. Miriam Church in Blue Bell, affiliated with the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of America.

He disputed that he had withheld anything from the college.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Say, before we go any further, I'm gay? Who says that?"

College President Carol Jean Vale said in a statement Friday night that, "at the time St. George joined our faculty, he presented himself as Father St. George and openly wore a traditional Catholic priest's collar."

The statement, which was released to several news outlets, including the Philadelphia Daily News, continued: "While St. George appears to be an ordained pastor -- he leads St. Miriam, an independent and self-described reformed Antioch-rite Catholic house of worship located in Blue Bell, Pa. -- his church allows priests the option to engage in same-sex partnerships."

St. George, 45, of Lansdale, said he was shocked by the firing, which he learned about Feb. 18. He was due to teach courses in theology and justice, and world religions starting this Tuesday.

The termination, he suggested, grew from a letter sent to college officials and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by James J. Pepper, a Blue-Bell based attorney who specializes in whistle blower cases.

Pepper could not be reached for comment Saturday.

The Daily News reported Thursday that the Pepper letter described St. George as a "heretic" because of his affiliation with the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of America, and said that his employment by Chestnut Hill College was "scandalous" because he is gay.

The college said that it acted to fire St. George only after he outed himself as gay.

"It is important to note that this information came to our attention only after St. George chose to make his private life public information on his blog," the Vale statement said.

"While we welcome diversity, it is expected that all members of our College community, regardless of their personal beliefs, respect and uphold our Roman Catholic mission, character and values both in the classroom and in public statements that identify them with our school," the statement said. "For this reason, we chose not to offer an additional teaching contract to St. George."

Jessica Murray, 23, a student of St. George's, said she was appalled by the firing.

"All you have to do is Google him, you can see that he's openly gay. They can't claim they didn't know," she said.

"His students are missing out on a wonderful opportunity," she said.

Contact staff writer Bonnie L. Cook at bcook@phillynews.com

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