BREAKING NEWS UPDATE:
The rallly I wrote about in the post (below) only an hour ago has been cancelled, says student Jessica Murray. And lawyer George Bochetto's press conference on Monday will now be held jointly with officials from Chestnut Hill College.
So what does this mean? Has a settlement been reached? Some other agreement? Neither side will say. But Jessica Murray says that, once she learned of the press conference, she postponed the rally until she and other supporters of Father Jim learn what gestures of goodwill, if any, the college will make toward Father Jim.
Stay tuned, and here's the original post:
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Chestnut Hill College students and others will stage a rally at the school tomorrow, Saturday, in support of Father Jim St. George, the adjunct professor who was fired on February 18th for being gay.
The rally will start between 9-9:30am at the school's main entrance, at Germantown Ave. and Rogers Dr. Things should wrap at about 11am.
Grad student Jessica Murray (that's her in the photo) tells me that supporters will wave signs demanding equal rights and dignity for all as well as sign petitions demanding that the school bring back Father Jim, who is pastor of St. Miriam Old Catholic Church in Blue Bell.
Murray says she'd like to tell this to administrators directly, but no one from the president's office on down will speak directly with her or other students about what happened to Father Jim.
Meantime, on Monday, March 21, Father Jim's recently hired super-lawyer, George Bochetto, will hold a press conference at 11am at the law-firm office at 1524 Locust St. to discuss the status of Father Jim's possible legal action against the school.
Will there be a lawsuit? A settlement? A photo-op of Father Jim and college president Jean Vale breaking bread in peace? Or taking part together in a "conversation circle" (see below)?
We'll have to wait until Monday to find out, since Bochetto, who announced the press conference today, is still negotating with the school's attorney.
Speaking of negotiations, Chestnut Hill students tell me they still have not learned how to sign up for those "conversations circles" that Vale promised, in an e-mail, would take place to discuss the impact of Father Jim's firing on the school community. Then again, this is only the first week that students have been back on campus following spring break, so perhaps more communicaiton will be forthcoming?
Here's the e-mail Vale sent students and others on March 4th:
"I am aware that there is a desire as well as a need for conversation about our recent publicity and its consequences. Further, I am sensitive to the fact there is a great deal of pain, anxiety, and confusion among us. I deeply regret the distress this has caused and reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive Catholic (though imperfect) community committed 'to equality through education,' the 'absolute value of human dignity,' and justice for each and every person. These are our ideals, the goal towards which we strive. Do we sometimes fall short? Yes. Do we allow missteps to keep us from our climb? No.
"Using the Institute for Forgiveness and Reconciliation as a forum for dialogue, several faculty, staff, and administrators are creating a process for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to gather in Conversation Circles of varying sizes to talk about our experience of the past week's events. Groups will be of varied sizes so we can sign-up for a group sized to our level of comfort. Faculty will meet with faculty, staff with staff, etc. It is our plan to launch these dialogues immediately after Spring break. More information will be available as soon as possible.
"I know we are experiencing a great darkness and that our hearts are heavy. I sense, however, a light in this darkness; a light summoning us to a defining moment. While we wish this situation had never occurred, it holds the potential to impel us forward to strengthen the bonds that unite. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway wrote: 'the world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong in the broken places.' So may it be with us."