In the next two weeks a number of California’s ostensibly Catholic Colleges and Universities will hold their graduation ceremonies. The ceremonies will include what are called ‘Lavender Graduations,’ informal parts of commencement that don’t replace the traditional graduation ceremony, but celebrate LGBT students and allies.
New Ways Ministries, an organization that seeks to undermine Catholic teaching on sexuality and the family, featured on their blog a recent post that began with the statement “Catholic higher education is leading our church towards more supportive and affirming LGBT practices.” The post then goes on to identify Catholic schools that celebrate Lavender Graduations.
Four of the eight schools listed are in California: Loyola Marymount College, under Archbishop José Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, under Bishop Michael Barber of the Diocese of Oakland; Santa Clara University, under Bishop Patrick McGrath of the Diocese of San Jose; and the University of San Francisco, under Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Loyola Marymount University celebrated its 6th Annual Lavender Graduation celebration on Saturday, April 30.
The website of St Mary’s College in Moraga announces that they will celebrate their “Tenth Annual Lavender Graduate Celebration (LGBTQIA Community)” on May 12.
Santa Clara University’s Rainbow Resource Center webpage announces that the school will celebrate their Lavender Graduation on June 2. The Santa Clara post also offers a link to the Human Rights Campaign—the premiere homosexual activist organization in the country.
The website of the University of San Francisco announces that their ‘Lavender Graduation” will be held on May 18, and invites readers to “celebrate the achievements of students who promote and exemplify leadership within the queer community.”
These events deserve comment from the responsible bishops. Silence on the part of the responsible Ordinary constitutes negligence towards the souls of the students and the educators over whom they are duty-bound to be exercising a pastoral responsibility.
To contact Archbishop José Gomez: (213) 637-7534.
To contact Bishop Michael Barber: (510) 893-4711.
To contact Bishop Patrick McGrath: (408) 983-0100.
To contact Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone: (415) 614-4500.
From the day a boy or girl is enrolled in a Catholic school, all of the kids should be viewed alike, and all should be fully integrated into the student body, equally– all races, backgrounds, economic groups, those with medical issues and disabilities, and those with “LGBT” problems. Those with special problems, should respectfully keep their problems private— and always be proud of themselves! A school should provide proper, legitimate services, for all students, such as medical care, counseling, financial help– and help by good priests, with moral issues. Students should be taught to accept and view all others equally. At graduation time, all should happily and successfully graduate together!!
“I have what passes for an education in this day and time, but I am not deceived by it.” ― Flannery O’Connor
Lavender graduations go unchallenged at diocesan Catholic high schools, too. I watched a cross-dressed “lesbian” student receive her diploma from the bishop. I watched as her classmates cheered….
The was a reason, why Pope Benedict XVI said, “Homosexuality is “incompatible” with the priesthood.” There are still those who claim to personally accept the Church’s Teachings but they are still blinded by their own wound and this often prevents them from providing the acute clarity that is necessary to be an “alter-Christus”. If you are a priest and you are not openly teaching and openly defending Church teaching on this matter, it is because you are first serving your own disordered wound instead of first serving Christ.
‘A FEW BLUNT WORDS TO CATHOLICS’ – Written by a faithful priest
https://rcf.org/docs/bluntwordscatholics.htm
Thank you for this link, Catherine. “A Few Blunt Words to Catholics” is really excellent … and eye-opening!
The fact that the CINO (Catholic In Name Only) universities allow lavender graduations, tells you that they know the local bishop will not speak out against it.
I suspect that in the very near future, we will have an openly homosexual bishop appointed.
“I will not feign academic objectivity: if such a thing really exists. I firmly believe in a new approach and a new vision in this area of ministry. In this I do have an ‘agenda.'” p132. in Fr. Godfrey’s book
How will they respond? Will they take up the challenge, ignore it, or do they agree with Fr. Godfrey? Actually, ignoring equals agreement: on August 1, 2007, Fr. Godfrey was appointed Executive Director of Campus Ministry at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco.
https://johnmalloysdb.blogspot.com/2007/08/gays-grays-review-of-fr-donal-godfreys.html
Meanwhile, Archbishop Cordileone will give the commencement at Thomas Aquinas College, and receive a medallion for his fidelity and service to the Church. Seems to me he should be taking care of business at home.
and California anxiously awaits the graduation ceremonies
that celebrate the heterosexuality of, presumably at least some, college students.
and here I thought graduations were about celebrating having learned something. silly me
“Supportive, affirming”. The Church is arguably supportive of LGBT(Q)(I)(etc.) just not in the way they’d prefer. It will never be affirming, which is what these people desperately crave. They are fighting a losing battle because they think if the Church affirms them, so will God. Protestant churches have caved and that has not changed the dynamic, though… gay sex is still immoral. They should be fighting their urges, not the Church.
Isn’t the CINO schools support of ‘lavender’ grad. ceremonies more about caving to PC vs anything else? As CatBear said (paraphrasing) , it is never going to be the affirmation these people crave which is ‘it’s ok to be immoral’. Usually it is better in life to keep ‘private matters’ (like s. o. challenges) to yourself but, some LGBT students don’t/won’t roll that way & reject God’s will for them. Pray for them.
Whoa! Why are Bishop Corleone and Gomez condoning sin at a University in their Archdiocese? I guess the Jesuits can thumb their nose at anything for so long they can get away with it. It’s time for a Papal Legate to come to the United States and rip up the Catholic charters for these so-called Catholic Universities. If Pope Francis would go after Catholic education like he has done with the Vatican banking system, these folks would all be in hot water. Just make them expensive private colleges and turn their chapels into local parishes. Deacon Vince
Deacon Vince K., I’m putting your idea (Papal Legate for Jesuits) on my ‘wish’ prayer/lamenting list but not holding my breath. Isn’t our Pope more interested & busy with: world affairs (climate change), world politics (open borders & open immigration), fair treatment of LGBT folks (who am I to judge?), exhortations regarding Holy Communion for the divorced, complaining about Right to Life Marches (embarrassed by them) & today’s headline– WOMEN DEACONS, to deal with fellow rebel Jesuits? Is it no wonder that good Bishops Corleone & Gomez may be a little slow about an expression of what may be considered a dissenting opinion? Just asking?
Back in the old days it was so simple, 1 form of Mass, the Catechism meant something, everybody could communicate because they knew English, etc. Now the Church promotes segregation/division – lavender graduations, TLM vs NO Mass, Mass by language, parish events by language, children/teen/adult Mass, etc. If the Church militant ever has to stand against tyranny, will we know each other enough in order to band together to resist?