An organization that protested an appearance by a member of a homosexual support group at St. Xavier High School is countering by bringing in a priest who counsels against homosexuality.
The group, Concerned Parents, Alumni and Friends of St. Xavier High School, has mailed invitations on next week’s presentation by Father John Harvey to parents of St. Xavier students, as well as to principals and counselors of other Catholic schools.
"We hope all will become more enlightened as to the correct view of the Roman Catholic Church," said Patrick Mechley of the concerned parents group. "The correct view is that homosexuality is wrong."
Father Harvey, of St. Michael’s Rectory in New York City, is the founder of a program called "Courage," which uses support groups to counsel against homosexuality.
Father Harvey is to speak at 8pm on May 5 at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, 5440 Moeller Ave., in Norwood. Mechley is director of the center and also director of St. Joseph’s Carpenter Shop, which does construction work for charities.
Mechley was among several people who protested the April 8 appearance of Marion Weage, a Greater Cincinnati member of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG, at St. Xavier High School.
Mrs. Weage addressed the Social Justice/Morality class taken by juniors and talked about discrimination against homosexuals.
School officials stressed they were not teaching or condoning homosexuality.
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"The class seeks to help juniors form the conviction that discrimination is never justified," principal David Mueller and school president the Rev. William Verbryke said in a letter to parents.
"The agenda of the (PFLAG) organization is absent from the discussion; Mrs. Weage speaks only as a mother who has experienced discrimination against her children."
But Mechley contended that "the content of the (class) discrimination unit is used to promote a homosexual agenda."
Mechley, a 1962 graduate of St. Xavier High School, said the school turned down his offer to have Father Harvey speak at the school, so his group decided to sponsor his appearance.
But Father Harvey said he doesn’t want to stir up trouble in Cincinnati.
"I’m not interested in having a big battle with school officials," he said. "I just want to explain what 'Courage' is and let people take it from there. I’m not interested in a debate with school officials."
By Rick Van Sant,staff reporter
The Cincinnati Post
April 8, 1998 |