Posted on 06/18/2019 9:23:01 AM PDT by ebb tide
Updated on June 18, 2019 at 10:23 a.m. to include statement from the Cardinal Newman Society.
EMMITSBURG, Maryland, June 17, 2019, LifeSiteNews — The alumni publication of Mount St. Mary’s University, a Catholic institution in Maryland, has for the first time included an engagement announcement for a same-sex couple.
Until this spring, Mount St. Mary’s had been held in high regard for consistently upholding Catholic teaching. But there are some signs that may be changing.
In April, when the school administration announced its choice of Mark Shriver – a former Maryland politician with a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland – as its 2019 commencement speaker, the Cardinal Newman Society immediately issued a statement saying it was “shocked and dismayed” that “an institution recommended in our Newman Guide for its faithful Catholic identity” had chosen Shriver. It noted “the possibility of scandal” created by honoring pro-abortion politicians.
That shock and dismay was reawakened over the weekend for some graduates of the school with the arrival of the MOUNT magazine in their mailboxes. A number of alumni reached out to LifeSiteNews to express concern that the Catholic identity of the school may be ebbing away.
Class of 1986 graduate Theresa Stief shared with LifeSiteNews a letter she penned to Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy Trainor:
I would like to call your attention to an announcement that appeared in the most recent MOUNT magazine, celebrating the engagement of two men. It saddened me deeply to see reported, alongside announcements of births and weddings and professional accomplishments, an event celebrating a lifestyle that is counter to everything that you say the Mount stands for: In your letter at the front of the same magazine, you say the Mount “wants to educate the next generation of ethical leaders in service to God and others.”
The lifestyle of two graduates who are choosing to embrace their same-sex attraction denies their dignity as sons of God, and will never allow them to be fully who God created them to be.
Celebrating this choice is akin to celebrating someone who has chosen to embrace their alcoholism, their drug addiction, their clinical depression. This is not something to celebrate; this is a call for remediation.
There are successful ministries within the Catholic Church that help both heterosexuals and those with same-sex attraction to live chaste lives; countless Christians can tell stories of how embracing God’s will for their lives has made them whole again, allowing them to pursue their full potential as children of a loving God who created them just as they are. This is what it takes to be an “ethical leader” and yes, even a saint.
God doesn’t make mistakes, but He does give us the tools we need to “attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
This is what we are all called to: Mount students, Mount professors, Mount seminarians. Please hold that standard high and stop celebrating what needs to be healed. May the Lord God bless your efforts to build a faithful, God-fearing institution of higher learning.
Stief’s letter ended with an impassioned plea to the school’s president: “I have spoken with several other Mount graduates who feel the same way I do. Please uphold the clear teachings of our holy Mother Church, Dr. Trainor!”
In a statement to LifeSiteNews, Mount St. Mary’s administration chose not to address concerns about the school’s Catholic identity, and focused instead on “engagement with the world and hospitality to all.”
The school’s Director of Public Relations and Communications, Donna Klinger, offered the following rationale for inclusion of same-sex engagements in the school’s alumni magazine:
Mount St. Mary’s University is a Catholic university where the Church and the world dialogue, giving students the knowledge and skill to ethically apply the Church’s teachings in the modern world in service to God and others. Our enduring 211-year commitment to our Catholic mission inspires engagement with the world and hospitality to all regardless of religious background. We are a diverse, inclusive community composed of individuals of many faiths and beliefs. Through its alumni magazine, the university shares the news of all alumni. We do not make judgments about the news being shared, and inclusion of an announcement does not imply the university’s endorsement. Filtering news to reject anything that does not follow Catholic teaching would deprive all alumni of learning about life’s milestones of not only people who are in same-sex relationships but also those who are divorced and entering second marriages, or those who have children out of wedlock.
LifeSiteNews reached to Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore for comment but received no reply thus far. Lori is a member of the school’s Board of Trustees who also serves as chancellor of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, which, although a separate entity, shares the Mount St. Mary’s campus.
The Cardinal Newman Society issued the following statement: “This is yet another scandal that undermines the University’s mission to uphold and teach the Faith. The Mount’s statement unsuccessfully attempts to explain away the problem and lacks the integrity of an institution committed to the formation of its students. A Catholic university must make deliberate choices about what to publish and who will speak at commencement, and the Mount’s leadership is making very bad choices without regard for the corrosive impact on its students and alumni.”
In May, a prestigious prep school in nearby Washington, D.C. similarly came under fire from alumni for deciding to publish same-sex union announcements in its alumni magazine.
Thanks Francis…you faggot Pope.
Ping
Catholic in name only.
Just because they've bastardized the language doesn't mean they will ever have a blessed marriage.
I can remember when MSTM had a reputation as one of the “solid” Catholic schools.
The West is falling fast...
Has that anything to do with this outfit?
Anyone been on the Notre Dame campus, lately? They have fully embraced the lies of Satan.
Disgusting.
Come, Holy Spirit, cleanse your Church of such filth and corruption.
Frankie has filled the Vatican with poofter advocates. So this is what we get.
Do these people enjoy insulting our intelligence?
They are simply passing along news? They make no judgements about what is being reported? This should not be seen as an endorsement of homosexual marriage?
Somebody at some point, had to make a judgement that it was ok to publish this. Someone did make a judgement call here.
We all.know there are certain things they would not publish.
No, this...
https://msmary.edu/campus-life/experiential-leadership-programs/crux-leadership-program.html
This has been going on in the conciliar church long before “Frankie”.
From the source:
So what do I get out of being a CRUX leader?Although all CRUX leaders will readily agree that they give a lot to the program, every single one would also agree that they get even more back. You will be surrounded by a unique and diverse group of peers who are as motivated and engaged as college students can be, who expect great things from you and who support you in your efforts to succeed. You will learn about who you are as a person and as a leader. You will travel to the most beautiful places imaginable. You will find a home and an identity on campus. You will get solid outdoor skills that last a lifetime. You’ll gain confidence. And you will discover the joy and fulfillment that comes from creating powerful outdoor experiences for others.
You apparently also get the opportunity to damn your soul to eternal hellfire.
A minor point, I'm sure ...
Does everybody get hired?Unfortunately, no. We typically hire 8 new leaders per year. Applicants are chosen by staff consensus based on the strength of their applications, face to face interviews. Other considerations, such as previous conduct on CRUX trips as participants, may be considered.
It would seem that these two faggots were deliberately hand picked by leaders of "CRUX" to become leaders themselves. The corruption runs deep.
A Roman Catholic all my life however I am really wondering about the clergy in all levels.
The scary thing is that Mount St. Mary’s Seminary actually has a reputation of being one of the better U.S. seminaries.
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