A classical Roman Catholic school in Alaska has been in the news recently over its decision to not re-enroll a student whose social media post was incompatible with the Church’s teachings. An Anchorage Press article on the situation, as well as progressive Catholic figures, made it seem like the school dis-enrolled the student because she dentified as transgender. This was not the case.
Holy Rosary Academy rising senior Morgan Smith began to self-identify as a transgender male in April. Her parents met with the principal, stating later in the summer that Smith’s pronouns and uniform officially be changed in accordance with her new gender identity when they didn’t hear back from school officials.
Notably, the 2021-2022 enrollment packets sent out to Holy Rosary Academy parents contained a new provision that parents and students would adhere to the Nicene Creed and a section titled, “Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality” that said, “Therefore one’s biological gender is established by God and cannot be changed…”
When Smith’s step-father and mother attempted to re-enroll their daughters, they realized that Morgan and her sister were taken off the school’s rolls. Morgan’s parents asked the school about the decision and principal Mark Newcomb responded that the two sisters were disenrolled because of a social media post that Morgan had made on Instagram. In the post, Smith had posed with a pentagram on her wrist and stated in the caption that devils weren’t real.
Newcomb’s response to the Joyner parents stated,
“Given the fact that you think, as you state in your note to me, that images and language of this kind are acceptable content for a Holy Rosary student to share online, we clearly do not have a functioning partnership with you for building up the Catholic culture of the school. For that reason…you will need to find other educational options for your children next year, in a setting that better aligns with the values that you hold and espouse with respect to the occult and the diabolical. It is the clear, public, and consistent teaching of the Catholic Church since the days of Christ’s earthly ministry and His casting out of demons, that the forces of darkness are real.”
Predictably, Fr. James Martin and “LGBT-positive” self-identifying Catholic organization New Ways Ministry sharply criticized Holy Rosary Academy’s recent decision. On Twitter, Martin shared an article written by New Ways criticizing the decision.
In an article, New Ways Managing Editor Robert Shine opined,
“Names, pronouns, and uniforms for students of any gender identity, but in particular for those who are trans or gender non-conforming should not be sticking points at Catholic schools. This story could have been about how one Catholic school helped a transgender student flourish…”
There are several problems with Shine’s and the Anchorage Press’s analysis of the school’s decision. One practical issue being that they refuse to accept the fact that the school didn’t dis-enroll the student because of her transgender identity.
The school dis-enrolled the student because of a social media post made by the student on the issue of demons and pentagrams. The Catholic faith often associates pentagrams with freemasonry, an ideology incompatible with the Church according to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1983 document, “Declaration on Masonic Associations.”
Church teaching on demons is plain and simple as Newcomb’s email stated and can be found in lines 391 and 414 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
However, in the hypothetical, if the school did decide to dis-enroll the student over the gender ideology debate it most likely would have been because her parents demanded that the school violate Church teachings by affirming her preferred pronouns and issuing a boy’s uniform to a biological girl. The school would have had the legal right and the theological duty to disenroll the student solely because her parents were forcing the school to accommodate an ideology that goes against official Church teachings, not because of her struggle with gender dysphoria.
The student was bullied relentlessly at public school and her dignity as a child of God was denigrated. No one should have to go through that. She was treated with dignity and respect at the Catholic school and was only dismissed because she posted contrary to the Church’s teachings on social media.
More Catholic schools need to take a firm stand for the truth. It is only in the hypothetical and because it is a convenient way to propagate their progressive interpretation of the faith that religious figures like Martin and lay organizations like New Ways assert that Holy Rosary Academy and schools like it are discriminatory in their adherence to Church teaching.
Comment by Dan W on September 10, 2021 at 7:17 am
Beginning her Senior year? Too bad she just couldn’t keep it together until graduation. I hope she gets the help that she needs.
Comment by Reynolds on September 10, 2021 at 1:59 pm
I send my kids to a Christian school. I have had to attest that I am a Christian and that I attend church before I could even enroll my kids. It seems that the school made a mistake enrolling the two kids and the parents made a mistake by not attending church.
Comment by Bob on September 11, 2021 at 10:56 am
Schools like this have to decide what they’re there for. I suggest not to teach just anyone, just believers. Probably only members of the parish. That won’t guarantee no cultists or people with wrongheaded ideas about biology but maybe less likely. Also less dismay that the school has actual standards of belief and behavior. Teachers most certainly included. Get serious and people will take it more seriously. Facebook interest groups have standards if they are “private”, so can private schools.
Comment by Jake on September 12, 2021 at 7:15 pm
If the student body is comprised of only those who already believe in all things Catholic, then the school has a diminished need of religion classes, which would be “preaching-to-the-choir” as the saying goes. I thought the gospel is spread by compassionately talking to non-believers. And a high school senior is adult enough to hear such a talk or two.
Is the corollary that only the pure of heart and those immaculately conceived may take a place in the pews on Sundays? No sinners allowed? That would cancel the need for many sermons — every person in attendance already being on-board.
Revoking the young lady’s enrollment seems quite the opposite of The Golden Rule. It almost seems a fear of her thoughts resonating more positively than the Catholic message. If so, that does not speak highly of either a) the Catholic message, or b) the quality, and/or knowledge of the purveyors of the Catholic message in that school.
Comment by Diane on September 12, 2021 at 11:41 pm
The school did Morgan a favor…Morgan is now liberated to live his life fully outside the confines of a church that has always cruelly messed with kids in one way or another. I have no respect for the RC institution after watching it deliberately hide its child abuse, whether it be in regard to its private embrace of pedophilia, abusing indigenous children by the hundreds, or slamming lgbtq kids. The institution is morally corrupt, lacking in compassion.
Comment by Jeffrey Walton on September 13, 2021 at 10:12 am
Diane, perhaps you missed the Alaska Press coverage (linked to in the article). Morgan, whose family describes itself as “non-religious”, transferred into the Catholic school after a horrible bullying situation at the public school. From all indications, Morgan had a better experience at Holy Rosary Academy than at the public school.
Comment by Fr. John Higgins on September 13, 2021 at 12:19 pm
Jake and others who would have this student remain…
Would we keep someone in a school who wore a swastika or made racist remarks at other students? Would we keep someone on a parish council who continuously talked about how stupid the Catholic Church is and how Jesus was really a gay guy in love with John the Apostle? Would we keep a Priest in a parish who was flirting with boys and inviting them to visit amusement parks and put them up with him in a hotel? Would we attend a conference done by a Religious Sister who had been the principal of a Catholic School and had been convicted of stealing millions and spending it in Las Vegas?
There is always room for a repentant sinner in our Catholic Church. I am one myself. I live in the suburb where I had my last hangover, after drinking scotch until I passed out on the floor.
A repentant sinner or someone who is seeking to turn from sin and believe in Jesus is always welcome. Someone who is vehemently practicing and proclaiming evil is in a completely different situation.
For this reason I hope we never hear of someone holding a Satanic worship service, a meeting of the KKK or a Gay Pride Event in a Catholic Church or a Catholic School.
Comment by George on September 13, 2021 at 9:33 pm
Well said, Father.
Comment by Diane on September 16, 2021 at 12:53 pm
Fr Higgins,
Gee, from the media accounts, I grew up thinking the RC priesthood was one big gay pride love event