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Roncalli, Pennsylvania cases stir strong reactions from local Catholics
By Billy Kobin
[with video] Recent local and national headlines have given Catholics in the Indianapolis area plenty to think about. First, there was the news that Shelly Fitzgerald, a popular guidance counselor at Roncalli High School for the past 15 years, is facing possible termination after church and school officials were presented with evidence of her 2014 marriage to a woman. Then, in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, a grand jury report accused more than 300 Catholic priests of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims. The report details a 70-year "systematic" coverup effort by the state's church leaders. Five Catholic priests with ties to Indiana were named in the grand jury report. For many Catholics, the events have created a certain amount of introspection about what might be described as the separation of church and faith. More specifically, some Catholics may lament the church's positions in these instances, but their faith is unshaken. Local Catholics who spoke to IndyStar this week were largely critical of the church's decision-making in each case. They said the Pennsylvania scandal and Roncalli flap seemed to only highlight what they perceive as the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church's action and teaching on sexuality and morality. Rita A. Wagner, an Indianapolis resident and member of St. Barnabas Catholic Church, said the two separate events should be compared in terms of the physical harm they have caused. "There are no victims in a same-sex marriage," Wagner said. "But there are definitely victims in the state of Pennsylvania. It's sick." Wagner, 76, said three of her children graduated from Roncalli. While she believes marriage, according to the teachings of the Catholic Church, should be between a man and woman, that belief does not stop her from supporting Fitzgerald's choice to marry a woman. Wagner said her 43-year-old daughter is lesbian. "You can't change how God made you. (Marriage) is a choice that two people have made who love each other," said Wagner, who is a member of DignityUSA, an advocacy and support organization for LGBT Catholics. "I am not to judge." Others, however, defended the school's decision. Zach Smith, a University of Indianapolis junior and Roncalli alumnus, said he thinks the criticism of Roncalli for its handling of Fitzgerald’s case has been “distasteful.” If anything, Smith said Roncalli leaders have been “very easy” on Fitzgerald by not immediately firing her. “I certainly don’t hold anything against Ms. Fitzgerald,” Smith said. “But there is a contract that has legal stipulations behind it, and those stipulations were broken.” Fitzgerald, herself a Roncalli graduate, said in a Tuesday interview with IndyStar that school officials presented her with her marriage certificate in a meeting last Friday and gave her four options: She could resign, dissolve her marriage, wait until the end of the year and not renew her contract, or be fired. Roncalli officials defended the action in a post on the school's now-deleted Facebook page, saying employee contracts clearly require teachers to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church, including marriage “between a man and a woman." Sam Albano, a Carmel resident and member of Dignity Indianapolis, said he empathizes with Fitzgerald. Albano said he served on his Catholic church's council until he was asked to step down in 2014 after speaking out in support of LGBT issues. The Roncalli case and Pennsylvania sex abuse report contradict the Catholic Church's teaching to treat all with dignity and respect, Albano said. "It's very hard to wrap your head around the hypocrisy in this situation," Albano, 30, said. "We're supposed to strive against social and economic injustice." Father John Hollowell, a pastor at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Greencastle and Annunciation Catholic Church in Brazil, said people are unfairly blaming the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Roncalli. In a Thursday blog post, Hollowell, a Roncalli alumnus whose father is Roncalli President Joseph Hollowell, said there has been an "utter failure" by the Catholic Church to teach what it believes about marriage. "Given all that, why would be shocked that a lot of people don't understand why a person would be let go from a Catholic institution after having made a permanent and public vow to live in direct opposition to a core teaching of the Catholic Church?" Hollowell asked in his post. Legal experts believe Roncalli's actions may be allowed since Catholic schools usually fall under a ministerial exception in anti-discrimination laws, meaning employees can be considered ministers of the church. Fitzgerald’s attorney, David Page, said her role as guidance counselor may not fall under that exception because her job was primarily administrative. Fitzgerald, who was placed on paid administrative leave Sunday, has not yet filed a lawsuit. Rep. Dan Forestal, an Indianapolis Democrat and Roncalli alumnus, said Wednesday that he wants to block public dollars from going to private schools that engage in discriminatory employment practices based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Wagner said while Roncalli's actions may be legal, administrators should ask students how they feel, since students receive help and guidance from Fitzgerald. If a majority of students support Fitzgerald and believe her sexual orientation does not affect her work, then Roncalli administrators should allow Fitzgerald to work at the school, Wagner said. On Tuesday, a Roncalli school board member resigned, voicing support for Fitzgerald. On Thursday, a group of more than 20 Roncalli students, parents and alumni gathered outside of the Roncalli school grounds before the annual Back to School Night. The group held signs and rainbow flags in support of Fitzgerald. "She's always been there for us, and I feel like it's time for us to be there for her," said Erin Rooney, a Roncalli junior. Roncalli parent and alumna Joannie Prusa said the school's decision has nothing to do with Fitzgerald's job performance. "It's discrimination," said Prusa, who said she grew up and attended school with Fitzgerald. "Shelly never brought her private life into her work." Students have contacted the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, which governs the school, to urge leaders to switch the language in employee contracts so that Fitzgerald's same-sex marriage does not prevent her from working at Roncalli, said Dominic Conover, a Roncalli senior. Conover said he thinks "it's pretty split down the middle right now" in terms of support for Fitzgerald or support for the school's decision. Father Dustin Boehm, a Roncalli graduate and pastor of St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Connersville and St. Bridget of Ireland in Liberty, said he would not comment directly on Fitzgerald’s situation but that he supports the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage being between a man and woman. At the same time, Boehm said many mistakenly assume the church’s stance on marriage equates to a condemnation of people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. “When the church teaches marriage, it teaches the absolute dignity given by God to every single person,” Boehm said. “No one is condemned based on their attractions and desires.” Ruth Schaefer, a St. Barnabas Catholic Church member, said two of her children graduated from Roncalli. Schaefer said Roncalli "isn't really at fault" in this case. However, Schaefer said Fitzgerald's case makes her worried about what messages Roncalli leaders are sending to students. "Are they telling (students) to be judgmental and unkind to others?" Schaefer, 75, asked. "We've got enough scandals that we don't need this. We’re all sinners, and we need to just love one another and get along with another."
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