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Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
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October 1997

A FORMER THOMAS AQUINAS College student, who generated international publicity when she sued the college for refusing to let her stay overnight with her fiance, has withdrawn her lawsuit. Twenty-three year old Aliya Peerzada of Ojai cited lack of funds as the reason for the withdrawal. However, an August 23 L.A. Times article quoted Peerzada as saying that "if I can possibly help it" she will refile before a December deadline.

The Santa Paula-based Catholic college expelled Peerzada last December after she refused to comply with a request by college administrators that she stop spending nights at her fiance's home in nearby Ojai. The college's 1996-97 handbook states that when students violate "the standards of Christian conduct," the school "has the right to dismiss a student at any time."

Peter DeLuca III, vice president for administration and finance, said that the college declined to settle the suit out of court. "We don't have any choice in the matter but to defend the suit," DeLuca said. "We have to maintain the right of the school to maintain some kind of standard. We couldn't concede the principle or appear to concede the principle.

"I think the whole episode was unfortunate, and I hope we've seen the end of it. For one thing, it was an embarrassment to her, I think. It certainly should have been. I'm vastly relieved. [Now we can] get on with the business of trying to provide Catholic liberal education to a lot of students."

IN A SUIT FILED IN SAN FRANCISCO federal court on August 14, John Bollard, a former Jesuit novice and scholastic, alleges that three Jesuit supervisors -- Fathers Andrew Sotelo, Anton Harris and Thomas Gleeson -- subjected him to "unwanted verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature," creating such a "hostile, intimidating and offensive work environment" that he had to leave the order in December 1996. "This unwanted conduct," reads Bollard's suit, "included, but was not limited to, the delivery of sexually explicit pornographic materials through the mail, unwanted sexual comments and gestures, unwanted solicitations, invitations for and discussions of sexual acts by plaintiff's direct supervisors, the defendants named herein."

According to Bollard, the harrassment began in 1990-91 at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, when two fellow faculty members, Harris and Sotelo, sent him greeting cards depicting sexually aroused men. In a pornographic Christmas card he allegedly sent to Bollard, Harris wrote, "Thought this might stir up some theological thought. Hope all goes well. Love, T." Sotelo, according to Bollard, not only sent him pornographic cards, but also invited him out to "gay bars."

Harris, rector at Jesuit High School in Portland, did not return phone calls, but has issued a statement through the Jesuit Oregon Province office: "I am embarrassed to learn that personal correspondence between two Jesuits has been made public. I did communicate with this man when he was a Jesuit, and some of the cards I sent to him were meant to be humorous." The others declined comment.

NEW WAYS MINISTRY is currently under investigation by the Vatican for promoting views that are in conflict with official Church teaching regarding the practice of homosexuality and ministry to homosexuals. Founded in 1977 by Sister Jeannine Gramick, SSND and Father Robert Nugent, SDS, New Ways Ministry has paved the way for homosexuals to believe that one can practice a homosexual lifestyle while continuing a member in good standing with the Church.

After the Vatican forbade Gramick and Nugent from participating in New Ways Ministry, the pair began a new undertaking called "Catholic Parents Network," a support group for the parents of gay and lesbian Catholics.

The Nugent/Gramick team held a seminar on September 10, 1997 in Orange, entitled "Voices of Hope." Seminar participants discussed an upcoming American bishops' pastoral letter to the parents of homosexuals. Father Nugent expressed concern that the bishops may get cold feet and decide not to release this letter if there is a groundswell of opposition prior to its release.

Nugent reviewed the contents of the draft pastoral letter at this seminar. The pastoral letter is an attempt to offer encouragement to the parents of homosexuals. He stated that there are several ways in which the letter can be issued. It can come directly from the committee or it can be sent to the floor at the upcoming bishops' meeting in November where the letter will be debated. Given the controversial nature of the letter, Father Nugent warned his audience that influential bishops can kill the letter if it goes too far. He said the best way to get the letter published is to take the middle road, conceding that people like Courage founder Father Harvey would criticize the letter if it is too radical.

AT THE CATHOLIC WOMEN'S NETWORK'S 1997 conference ("Taste and See: A Day of Discovery"), held June 21 at Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose, several speakers focused on the "virtue" of disobedience against an unreasonable, patriarchial God.

Victoria Rue, described as a feminist theologian and biblical playwright, performed a skit in which she, as Lot's wife, decries the angry God who turned her into a pillar of salt. "I stand as a monument to all the women who stand against the will of the fathers," she said.

Singer Betsy Rose, a graduate of Matthew Fox's Institute of Culture and Creation Spirituality, explained the meaning of the conference theme in a song:

Oh, taste, taste and see
How good is the fruit that falls from the tree
Oh, taste, taste and see
How good is the fruit of the garden.

"There's a story that says we shouldn"t have eaten the apple," said Rose. She then invited participants to eat apples supplied by the conference.

ACCORDING TO THE RECORDED TOUR at the Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum, Father Junipero Serra and his fellow missionaries wiped out three-fourths of the original Indian population of California. One local Catholic wrote a letter of protest to the museum after viewing the exhibit on June 16, which included historical sources and a copy of a magazine article refuting the claim that the Franciscan missionaries to California mistreated the Indians. As of September 4, the museum had not responded.

ON SEPTEMBER 12, Concerned Roman Catholics of America held a demonstration in front of the Los Angeles Archdiocese's Chancery office, protesting Cardinal Roger Mahony's recent pastoral letter on the liturgy. The demonstration was peaceful; participants carried signs and prayed the Rosary. A few minutes after the protest began, archdiocesan spokesman Father Gregory Coiro, OFM Cap., came out. According to Ken Fisher, the leader of the demonstration, Father Coiro told him it was illegal to protest in front of the chancery office and that diocesan officials would call police. Fisher said he replied that as a veteran of many an Operation Rescue protest he was well aware of his First Amendment rights. Fisher said this angered Father Coiro, who responded that it didn't matter whether or not the demonstrators were on a public sidewalk. He then reportedly returned to the chancery and the demonstration continued. Fisher reported that the some of the demonstrators told Father Coiro this demonstration was only a prelude to the one scheduled for October 10, the day the cardinal will formally introduce his proposed liturgical changes.

When contacted for comment, Father Coiro said that he did not attempt to stop the demonstration, he merely advised the group that the police had informed him that the protesters had to be in continual motion and could not block the sidewalk. When asked about a police car reported to be cruising by after the dispute between Fisher and himself, Father Coiro said he wasn't aware of anyone calling the police. He added that there is a police substation nearby.