DETAILS
Town Hall Meetings with Mark Guevarra
Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m.
Prayer with open Q&A, refreshments to follow
Attendance is free
St. Albert United Church at 20 Green Grove Drive
Despite being gay, he never received any word about issues with him working in the Catholic church. He has gotten to know hundreds of St. Albert families, especially the ones who he became involved with as he prepared young people for their baptisms, first communions, and confirmations.
“They got to know my story and I got to listen to their stories too. It really touched them. Many of the parents have been talking with their kids about what justice means, what discrimination and injustice is in the church and in the world. This has been a starting point for that discussion.”
He has also been public with his work with the St. Albert Ministerial Association, which hosts the annual St. Albert Community Carol Sing. He formed the support and prayer group called LGBTQ+ CORE (Catholic OutReach of Edmonton) without any backlash or administrative gear grinding.
“It’s not a group that’s unusual in the Catholic church. There are some dioceses around the world that have LGBT ministries. Some have been going on since the ’60s. These are not ministries that seek to convert LGBT Catholics. They’re there actually just to welcome them as they are.”
He said that he never heard that there were any problems with him in the church up until he was fired. He wasn’t even allowed to look at the file of complaint.
“It was never told to me directly up until this investigation when a file was placed in front of me. Basically, the investigator said that there were people that had been tracking my life for the last eight years of me working in the church and trying to discredit me from working in the church. The Archdiocese overlooked that and allowed me to work all these years. It doesn’t surprise me. I know that the Catholic church is huge. There’s 1.1 billion people and we can’t all think the same way.”
In a message offered on the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton’s website on Feb. 24, Archbishop Richard Smith acknowledged the pain that other parishioners experienced after Guevarra’s dismissal since he was “widely loved and respected in the parish.” The note clarifies that his employment was terminated solely and strictly in relation to its policy as anyone who serves in a leadership or teaching role is expected to live in accord with the teaching of the Church.
“The duty of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel to the times in which she lives, not to become their echo. Her teaching does not change simply because societal norms do. Therefore, the Church teaches, and will continue to teach, that marriage is intended by God as a permanent union of covenant love between one man and one woman, who, in their sexual relations, give expression to their mutual love and their openness to the gift of life,” he wrote.
These last few months have been tough for Guevarra and his supporters. His co-workers took it really hard, he said, adding that he personally felt lost and without purpose on Easter weekend. Though he is still employed as a sessional instructor of religious studies at St. Joseph’s College at the University of Alberta, he has been thinking about returning to post-secondary education to get a PhD in theology.
Soon, a fellow parishioner will be hosting an event to thank him for his service.
“I’m deeply encouraged by the overwhelming support. Catholics these days are pro same-sex marriage. They’re pro LGBT rights. That’s the support that I’ve received from students in our Catholic schools here in St. Albert and teachers and parents and an overwhelming majority of parishioners at St. Albert Parish.”
This Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, he will be front and centre at St. Albert United Church to allow one and all the chance to speak with him or simply pose their questions. When he was fired, the church reached out to ask him what it could do for him. As the weeks went past, he realized that he needed a venue to be able to speak to people’s concerns and questions.
The two events will each be book-ended by prayer. He will spend a few minutes offering his story to the gatherings. As people first enter, they will be offered paper on which to write their questions and concerns. He promises to respond to as many as he can. People can even talk to him privately afterward if they prefer.
Guevarra doesn’t know what to expect but does know that the conversation needs to continue.
“I have not over the past two months, in the 800 emails I’ve received, not one of them has opposed me, maybe because they’re afraid to email me and to hear the response back. The overwhelming majority of responses I’ve gotten from people is support,” he said.
“I’ve not heard of anyone who is thinking of coming to the town hall ready to oppose me. I’ve only known of people who support me and want to tell others how much this means to them, how it touches their family, their life and their church. I am preparing for opponents who might come but at the end I firmly believe that the majority of Catholics side with me on this. They see that my firing is unjust. None of the other 39 pastoral associates like me have been scrutinized as much as I have been, ever. They see that as being not right, unchristian and unjust.”
