Gay Priest Settles with Chestnut Hill College, by Teresa Masterson, NBC Philadelphia, March 21, 2011

Gay Priest Settles with Chestnut Hill College

By Teresa Masterson
NBC Philadelphia
March 21, 2011

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Gay-Priest-Settles-With-Chestnut-Hill-College-118391924.html

Father Jim St. George, the gay priest who said he lost his job at Chestnut Hill College because he is gay, announced Monday that he and college officials have settled on amicable terms.

Though neither St. George nor Chestnut Hill College released the terms of the agreement, St. George said that he and college officials “expressed our respect for each other’s churches, however different our religious principles may be.”

Officials at Chestnut Hill College, a private Catholic school, said last month that they were unaware until recently that 45-year-old St. George was not ordained by the Roman Catholic Church, nor that he is gay – which violates church teaching.

St. George, who was hired to teach theology and justice courses at the Roman Catholic college, insists that he never hid these facts from the school and was outraged by his dismissal.

Now St. George is asking the media to “respect the privacy of this resolution and allow both parties to return to our respective missions.”

A press conference that was scheduled for Monday morning was canceled at the last minute and St. George sent out this statement:

“I am pleased to announce that I have reached an amicable resolution with Chestnut Hill College that will end this controversy. This resolution is consistent with each party's respective religious beliefs and was arrived at over this past weekend.

"Chestnut Hill College and I have expressed our respect for each other’s churches, however different our religious principles may be. We are committed to moving forward and tending to our respective ministries. Neither of us is interested in rehashing what has occurred in the past and we request that the media respect the privacy of this resolution and allow both parties to return to our respective missions."

Chestnut Hill College officials told NBC Philadelphia that they're happy an agreement has been reached, but did not expand on the statement.