….This past Monday, the new principal at St. Joseph’s, Father Steve Kim, who started the job this month, sent an email to parents seeking to “reassure” them that St. Joseph’s “will continue to be a safe place for all of our students to feel comfortable being who they are.” Kim said he was moved to comment on the issue due to “recent articles that have appeared about the Diocese of Oakland’s considerations of gender-related guidance.”
He also apologized for what he described as the “signs of distress, discomfort, and unhappiness” surrounding the meetings on new guidance.
“Our school will continue to adhere to best practices of non-discrimination while also upholding and offering a genuinely Catholic education as demonstrated by our commitment to and celebration of people and community members from all walks of life,” Kim wrote.
One former staffer of St. Joseph’s who left the school because of the expected gender guidance told The Oaklandside that they think Kim is trying to establish himself “as a mediator and listener.” They did not want to use their name because they feared it could affect their career.
“They need to spell out what they’ll do to ensure the community feels included and welcomed other than maintaining the gay-straight alliance club,” the former staffer said.
A parent that read Kim’s statement thought it was reassuring but is still waiting on the diocese to issue the new rules.
“We shall see if the guidelines reflect what [church officials] have heard,” the parent said.
Karen Bane, a parent of a St. Joseph’s student, said the Church should consider what it could lose if narrow-minded rules push parents to stop exposing their kids to faith-based education. She said that currently, all types of people of different faiths, genders, and races can learn about social justice from Catholic teachings.
“You’re leveraging all these other faiths to be siblings with you in bringing the social justice of Jesus as gospels into the world. But this is what’s in jeopardy—this wonderful, beautiful thing that’s life-giving,” she said.
She described how her son feared for his LGBTQ+ friends and teachers. “My son [was] telling me about the information session with the students, and he started weeping. His eyes were red, his face was tense, his body was quivering.”
From Oaklandside
This is how pathetic the Church in the US has become. It doesn’t have a clear identity centered on Christ and the truth of God’s revelation that is firmly held by large numbers of clergy or laity. It’s become just a Sunday social club for doing good civic works. The people teaching and working in Catholic schools and parishes don’t have a clue about what Catholicism is.
How did we get here? How did the Church become so pathetic?
“How did we get here? How did the Church become so pathetic?” Back in 1981 I was a long term substitute at a well-known Catholic high school. The experience was a very good one– the best time of my entire life so far as living the Benedictine motto “ora et labora” (work and prayer). One key to this was daily Mass at 7:30 a.m. before classes start. Sadly, I was the only lay teacher who attended; the rest were students and a few religious. I learned that this school could only hire single people like myself without mortgages or married people whose spouse made good money. There were some really good teachers there but few devout Catholics as far as I could tell. Religious taught the religion classes. Back then there was no LGBTQ+ movement but had there been I think some lay teachers would have been much in favor of it and even promoted it. In conclusion, this high school would love to hire committed Catholics for every position but the reality was they had to take what they could get–people willing to work for a small salary. From such a limited pool, it is no surprise secular attitudes infected the entire student body, some a little, some a lot, but few were unaffected.
I would like to see the LGBTQ+ designation limited to what involves the whole non-heteronormative, non cisgendered “community”- for lack of better words.
This issue seems to involve transgender persons. Maybe genderqueer or non-binary persons.
It does not seem to involve sexuality but gender identification.
This community is splintering a little bit because many gays and lesbians do not agree with trans and genderqueer persons.
It does allow people a measure of privacy by lumping them all together but that usually is short lived.
If bishops can’t make an unequivocal statement about gender theory, then this is what we get. Priests are left to swing in the wind. The Oakland diocese is a mess, both financially and in courageously moral leadership. Why can’t they issue a straightforward message that all Catholic school-aged children will be recognized by their biological sex, and stick to it?
The Church shouldn’t cause confusion because there is only a he or a she. Preach the Gospel message and that’s it.
From a part of the story not quoted above: “During the past year, a faculty member told The Oaklandside, Rizzo asked staff to remove an LGBTQ+ flag hung in a campus room, which he could see from his office across the quad. Faculty members protested and refused to bring it down.”
There’s the problem. The teachers are not Catholic, and they are refusing to be Catholic. They are promoting what is contrary to Catholicism and modeling resistance and heresy.
Shut the school down. Fire all the teachers. Are the kids really getting a worthwhile education there? They’re not getting a Catholic education. Why is the diocese keeping a renegade, recalcitrant Catholic school open? To what end?
Really… is it worth keeping a renegade and irreformable Catholic school open? Shut it down. It’s thoroughly corrupt. Then, maybe after a year or two of restructuring reopen it as a genuinely Catholic school. No piecemeal solutions will work here. It has to be completely gutted and then reopened with completely new employees and teachers.
If diocese like Oakland want to push LGBTQ students and parents out, I’m waiting for faith based liberal groups to take up the slack and form their own school systems. I think there could be great demand for schools of exceptional academic caliber, based in Catholic Christian faith but divorced from exclusionary policies mandated by Bishops like Barber, to begin. Such a thing happenned at Lutheran seminaries in the 1970s and 80s when the denominational schools shifted right.
it’s not pushing them out; it’s saying that they can’t promote what is against Catholic faith and that Catholic schools will only teach what accords with Catholic faith. and sorry, not sorry, to tell you… but the rainbow pride flag and what it represents is against Catholic faith. the gays are trying to push Catholicism out of Catholic schools. why do not see that or why do you not care about that?
The poster called YFC does not see it because he believes it is all right for two men and two women to “marry” and have abnormal sex together. He has said he approves of such “marriages” before, so I assume he practices what he preaches. Now he is going to attack me for telling you the truth, and he is going to try to “gaslight” you.
Care about: It seems pretty apparent to me that if people experience “signs of distress, discomfort, and unhappiness” over the guidance, they feel they are being pushed out. Call me crazy. I’m sure the poster who calls themself Anne TE will.
People who experience “signs of distress, discomfort, and unhappiness” over the expression of a view that differs from their beliefs need to grow up and toughen up. I will call you crazy. Snowflakes are weaponizing their feelings against people for expressing different opinions, and the snowflakes are using that to try to leverage their views against anyone else’s. The last paragraph of the story that describes a student’s intense emotional reaction to someone else’s ideas shows that he’s immature and incapable of handling life. Toughen up. And to any Catholic who would capitulate to anyone because they start crying or say they feel offended or uncomfortable with the expression of Catholic faith, you need to toughen up too.
They are teenagers.
The adults who don’t act any better, the teachers who don’t act any better are themselves teenagers in their maturity levels.
I don’t much like snowflakes either, but please keep in mind, this is not just about tolerance for other points of view, it is about what those in power due to those without power. If anything if there are snowflakes in this story, it is the diocese which appears intolerant of people who support LGBT people, and intend to take action against them.
and I’d love to hear the definition of ‘weaponizing’. How is expressing one’s feelings a “weaponization”?
Your Fellow Catholic, aka YFC, you do not know yet what the diocese is going to say.
The word is “herself”. “Themself” is plural whether you like it or not.
Actually, the plural is “themselves”.
“…themself Anne TE” !!??!! YFC, I am trying my best to give you a sympathetic hearing, but when you insult Anne with “themself” you owe her an apology, for she made no indication to you that this was the way she wished to be addressed. Unless anyone suggests otherwise, you will gain more respect from others by showing them this respect: address women using ” herself,” and men with” himself.” What in the world were you thinking? It came off to me as if you are now wrapped up in pronouns of your own choosing. I really am trying to give you a patient hearing, YFC; don’t make it so hard for me. Oh, and most people like myself type YFC as it is much easier to write out than Your Fellow Catholic. No slight is intended.
My apology. Although I get upset with the poster who calls himself YFC, I should not have entered your conversation that way but should have let him answer for himself. I sometimes become overzealous when I think the innocent are being damaged and go too far the other way. I am just so tired of the battle — in my inbox, on the news and, it seems, everywhere I turn. I am going to get some much – needed rest.
Actaally ATE, you are the poster who calls me YFC. I don’t use that moniker for myself. I don’t mind it, I’ve been called far worse, so I respond to posts like yours that call myself “YFC”. Mind if I call you ATE?
Um, a lot of Catholic schools, especially high schools in the Bay Area, already fit your description of lukewarm, milquetoast, semi-Christian-influenced schools. For example: St. Francis in Mountain View, Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, Archbishop Mitty in San Jose, Notre Dame in San Jose, Notre Dame in Belmont, Presentation in Campbell, Bishop O’Dowd in Oakland, Bellarmine Prep in San Jose, and practically all the others.
It would be a nice change to have authentically Catholic schools providing an authentic Catholic education.
Catholic schools exist to teach Catholic students their faith. Ever thought of that logically, YFC? Catholic schools do not exist to promote sins of sex perversion. A Catholic student can be gay– but so what? The student must learn the Catholic Faith well, and live it well, daily. That is a big responsibility, YFC.
Surrender yourself to Christ.
Do it ! lead it ! see how far you get , how many do you think will fallow ? how about the money and infrastructure ?,you want the name and tradition but don’t want to fallow the traditions that gave us such a system . A secular alternative would have a better chance , if they don’t want Catholic teaching they don’t want a Catholic education .
Well generations of dedicated nuns have left a high bar for any who would try to replicate it, that’s for sure.
FALLOW?
There are independent Catholic schools but I think they are the opposite end of your issue.
The diocese is not trying to push out LGBTQ+ Catholics.
All Catholics are welcome.
This is about trans so lets stick to that for a second.
No one wants to hurt anyone but the diocese may decide that it is important to emphasize Catholic anthropology in its schools.
To some that will be about bathroom use, pronouns, school uniforms, lines for 1st communion, gym classes.
If a trans kid finds it so distressing that they cannot tolerate it, then for their own peace, they might want to try another school.
I think everyone at the school and in the diocese will be sad about that.
Kids get removed from Catholic schools often (where I live) usually for violent or disruptive behavior. No one like doing it but someone makes the decision that the learning environment is being negatively impacted by these children.
Catholic schools are not good at accommodating disabilities, learning and otherwise.
They love but they are not the best choice for those who need a lot of accommodation. Public schools are better at that.
I know people who were so hurt when their parish school could not accommodate or removed their kid. It really impacted their faith journey.
People who are not Catholic are welcome in Catholic schools.
Every Catholic school that we have ever attended had an application process.
You were not guaranteed admittance even if you were Catholic.
One thing everyone who enrolls is apparently guaranteed is not to receive a Catholic education.
I accidentally gave you a thumbs up and meant to leave the “thumbs” blank. Having non-Catholics in a Catholic school is a real problem as soon the school may no longer be Catholic. On the other hand, some non-Catholics live their moral lives more in keeping with Catholic teaching than do some Catholics. It is a Catch Twenty-Two.
Such schools would not be “faith-based” if they believed God made a mistake in creating some human bodies. G
Fr Kim’s resume shows that he is also a Chaplain to the SF 49ers who celebrated National coming Out day last October with a “Pride” event. the 49er have a history of Pride support. Fr Kim came to his current Oakland assignment earlier this year.
I visited the St. Joseph Notre Dame High School (Alameda, CA) employee careers webpage. This is the first qualification for employment: “Support the values of a Catholic education and the school mission while also respecting religious plurality and cultural diversity.”
When Catholic education is diluted to be about “values” and entailing respect for “religious plurality and cultural diversity” as the first criterion, you’re already asking for problems. Diversity today in the US means gay and trans and BLM and no cash bail and abortion rights.
The school gives away the store before even hiring teachers. No wonder they are having the problems they are having with teachers, parents and students who do not agree with, do not support, and refuse to teach or abide by Catholic faith. All a teacher there has to do is support the “values of a Catholic education” and “religious plurality and cultural diversity”. Well, seems to me that that’s what the school is doing. They want teachers who will support religious plurality and cultural diversity. They are getting what they asked for and what they hired.
No surprise there. I used to work in a few Catholic schools. At every single one the non-Catholic teachers were told that they didn’t have to support Catholicism except by attending school Masses and faculty spirituality days. Guess what? The schools weren’t Catholic. One of them was Archbishop Mitty.
I think what this and other stories on this site show is that Democrats and leftism are like malware in the code of a society or an institution. You have to root leftist ideas out of a compromised system, otherwise your system will be taken hostage and the malware will grow.
This Catholic school is infected with leftist malware, and it’s holding the school hostage.
The best protection is a malware detector and eliminator. That’s what the administration is supposed to be. When the administration is infected, the whole system is going to be corrupted. Sometimes the only solution is a total reboot to start afresh.
Catholics need to be prepared to take bishops and priests into their homes if they expect them to to get real on the race/gender agenda. And the clergy must be prepared to leave their homes and rectories. What they fear is loss of security and comfort were they to speak freely and that is a rational fear. Lay people are beginning to speak up but we’re not organized and are only able to respond to this in fits and starts before the progressives come roaring back.
To lay it all on the lap of the clergy is delusional. The laity better put up or shut up.
“25
Great crowds were traveling with him, and He turned and addressed them,
26
‘If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28
Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?
29
Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him
30
and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
31
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
32
But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
33
In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”–Luke 14:25-35
If you want to read Fr. Steve Kim, Principal’s letter, you can access it in full on the parish website:
https://sjbalameda.org/clergy-weekly-letter
I grew up in Alameda. I attended Mass at St. Joseph. I didn’t go to school at St. Joseph but I had friends who did.
I think these statements are most worrisome:
“We will continue to recognize and celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community through our many student-centered events and initiatives. SJND’s Department of Equity & Justice works with our administration to incorporate intentional professional development for our faculty and staff to reflect on ways we can best serve our students through a lens of equity and belonging.”
If I had children at that school, I would withdraw them. I would have no confidence in the new principal’s ability to lead. Problem is that Alameda High and Encinal High are full of druggies.
A Catholic education is not about recognizing and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. It’s about celebrating Christ and what he has done for humanity in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
I predict this dispute is not going to end well.
I thought the letter was really good. I see why the things concern you but he is just saying that they will continue to do their best for all their students. It sound like when the diocese makes its policies they will follow them and if they upset students they will work with them.
I see no rebellion against Church teaching.
Thank you. That is concerning. As Pope Francis has said, gender ideology is diabolical.
Hey, man, I grew up in Alameda too, but I went to St. Joe’s in the 1990s. Did you ever eat at Mariani’s Meats on Encinal and Chestnut, just a couple blocks from the church and school? Man, those were the days. Hecka fun back then.
“…narrow-minded rules”?
Pray for Fr. Kim. I’ve attended several Masses he has served and met him a few times. I’ve never heard him say anything contrary to the Faith. Yet, he is relatively young. Pray that, by God’s grace, he has the courage to stand against the LGBTQ+ lobby and the lavender mafia. Maybe they’re not as intimidating in the Oakland diocese as they are in the San Jose diocese.
I will pray that he seeks God’s will and is given the grace to fulfill it.
How do “narrow minded rules”
differ from “rules?”
narrow minded rules are a subset of rules. rules is the genus, narrow minded is the species.
flexible rules would be another subset/species, and would contrast with narrow minded.
I think the intent of Jess Askin’s question was to get a delineation of what constitutes “narrow minded” rules, so as to reflect better on the mind-set of those who view them as such.
Thank you, Dan.
One further (compound) question:
How do(es) “flexible rules” differ from:
a) YOU get to make up your own rules, or
b) there really are NO RULES at all ???
Jess, I am not sure how flexible rules degenerate to options a or b, but I would consider the idea of a rule “dying the death of a thousand qualifications,” that is, where exception after exception to the rule renders the original rule meaningless– not immoral or wrong– just meaningless. For example, the excuse “everybody’s doing it” renders the rule against “it” meaningless, because “everybody” constitutes the “thousand qualifications.” Laws that are not enforced die the death of a thousand qualifications because each violator represents a qualification to the rule (that it doesn’t apply to him or her). Is this a good place to start?
Narrow minded rules are those that come from people of faith, traditional cultures, thousands of years of human history and the unevolved non-Marxists.
Broad minded rules, on the other hand, suppress free speech, call names (“hater”), “cancel” those in disagreement and sometimes comes from judges, when democracy fails to provide the desired result.
Words mean what I choose them to mean.
Oakland. Urban decay and blight in so many ways.
like Bush Sr. said in his
famous speech: “A thousand points of blight.”
You wrote, “It does not seem to involve sexuality but gender identification.”
It’s the belief that God made a mistake in assigning wrong genders to the wrong people. That’s rich.
God makes no mistakes.