Defending the sacrament of matrimony has been an increasingly frequent battle in the Church. This has recently come to the Diocese of Gaylord.
The parish of St. Francis in Traverse City, under the leadership of Fr. Michael Lingaur, recently let go of long-time music minister Fred Szczepanski, apparently after it was made known to Fr. Lingaur that Mr. Szczepanski was legally “married” to another man in 2020. This led to a protest on the steps of the Church last week.
Mr. Szczepanski was a popular music minister at St. Francis. After his removal, in addition to a street protest, his partner, William Thompson, set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover “legal expenses” regarding this issue. Included in the donor list are prominent physicians and attorneys in Traverse City. As of this writing, over $47,000 has been raised. The story has gone national, unsurprisingly, as various homosexual organizations and sympathizers attempt to pile on the Diocese.
Bishop Jeffery Walsh released a response to the decision of Fr. Lingaur. In the response, Bishop Walsh appropriately and clearly lays out the most basic of Catholic Church teaching on marriage:
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is instituted by God and therefore in its nature cannot be changed. Marriage is a permanent, faithful and exclusive covenant between one man and one woman, designed by God for the good of the spouses and rearing of children.
When a Catholic violates the teaching on marriage in a public act that is contrary to the will of God, Pastors are called to shepherd such souls in a way that points them toward reconciliation and mercy.
While we are all weak sinners, serious sins against chastity require sacramental reconciliation and a firm purpose of amendment, as stated in our act of contrition.
This last point is important; Bishop Walsh is indicating that not only is marriage a sacrament between one man and one woman, but that violations of these basic Christian tenets require reconciliation with Church teaching, (ie, admitting the sin/falsehood of “same-sex marriage”) AND a firm purpose of amendment (stop living that lifestyle). This is raw, basic, and beautiful Catholic Church teaching!
Mr. Szczepanski knew his “marriage” was problematic. According to an article in the Ticker, Mr. Szczepanski stated the following description of the “marriage”: “Never flaunted it. Never had a celebration.” Of course he didn’t have a celebration – he wanted to hide it from Church officials. It would jeopardize his employment and standing as a music minister.
Bishop Walsh also indicated the following foundational concepts of religious organizations being allowed, under law, to set their own standards of employment when it comes to religious belief:
Employees of the Diocese of Gaylord consent to a ministerial agreement that states they will adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
A public act of same-sex marriage is a formal recognition that a relationship is more than friendship, and thereby jeopardizes a ministerial agreement for employment.
Both Fr. Lingaur and Bishop Walsh should be congratulated for their stance in this matter. Although some have criticized the fact that Mr. Szczepanski apparently was known by many to have had a long time homosexual relationship going on and yet was allowed to work, it is nonetheless never too late to address a moral wrong. Gaylord Diocesan Watch will be monitoring this issue closely. We pray that both Fr. Lingaur and Bishop Walsh continue to exhibit the leadership they have demonstrated. This type of shepherding is precisely what the Church needs. We are thrilled to witness it. Thank you, Fr. Lingaur and Bishop Walsh.