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Mark Guevara Case: Edmonton Archdiocese Targets Gay Employee
Kevin Simpson, Vancouver
Volume 32 Issue 1, 2 & 3 | Posted: March 14, 2018
Dear Archbishop Smith:
I grew up in Central Alberta in the 1960’s, one of five children of a devout Roman Catholic mother and a father who was a convert to Catholicism. After graduating with a Commerce degree, I then completed a diploma in Chemical Technology in 1977 from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. I stood first in my class and applied for an advertised position with the RCMP forensics lab in Edmonton. Despite excellent references and recommendations from previous employers I was not even interviewed for the position.
You see, this was an era of police surveillance and harassment of gay and lesbian people including the recording of licence plate numbers of cars parked at or near gay establishments and the random intimidation of patrons by officers entering the premises and demanding identification of those present.
Dear Archbishop Smith:
I grew up in Central Alberta in the 1960’s, one of five children of a devout Roman Catholic mother and a father who was a convert to Catholicism. After graduating with a Commerce degree, I then completed a diploma in Chemical Technology in 1977 from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. I stood first in my class and applied for an advertised position with the RCMP forensics lab in Edmonton. Despite excellent references and recommendations from previous employers I was not even interviewed for the position.
You see, this was an era of police surveillance and harassment of gay and lesbian people including the recording of licence plate numbers of cars parked at or near gay establishments and the random intimidation of patrons by officers entering the premises and demanding identification of those present.
So I’m sure the RCMP had a file on me at that time as I was just emerging from the confines of the “closet”, and with this information they determined that I was a “security risk” to their operations.
I reflect on the experience above as your current action with respect to the firing of Mark Guevarra has so many parallels – but it is 40 years later!
And the action you have taken is against an employee who has served the church faithfully and well for a number of years. Yet an “investigator” was appointed by you to uncover and document a personal relationship which Mark had chosen to keep confidential in order not to jeopardize his vocation. Who pushed you to this decision – members of the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary, or perhaps your fellow Opus Dei members?
I grew up in the time of the Second Vatican Council when it seemed that the institutional church had embraced Saint John XXIII’s call to “Throw open the windows of the church and let the fresh air of the spirit blow through.” But as your current unjust targeting of a gay man shows, despite the spirit being embraced by the members in the pews who value their gay and lesbian soulmates, the institution has found no way to move forward.
It is regrettable as the gifts which we could bring to the church are lost. The ripple effects of actions such as yours will only lead to more disillusionment among all members of the faithful who experience the dissonance between their lived experience of LGBTQ persons in their lives and the way the church chooses to treat them.
In Francis we now have a pontiff whose words give rise to hopes that reform is again in the ascendence, but with no concrete action on his part they are just words as this current situation so vividly illustrates.
I would ask that you reinstate Mark to the position he has faithfully served. However, given that this is unlikely, I think it will be healthier for Mark to serve in a secular field with the new found freedom of being able to be authentically who he is called to be.
Kevin Simpson, Vancouver
cc His Holiness, Pope Francis
MARK GUEVARA STATEMENT
As some of you may know, two months ago I was investigated by my employer, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. I was investigated for two things: (1) my involvement with the formation of an LGBTQ Catholic prayer and support group called CORE and (2) the allegation that I have a male partner and a daughter.
The investigator relayed concern about the group having been formed without approval of the Archbishop. I had a few reasons for not getting approval. First, it was still in a trial period. We didn’t know if it was going to have a future. Second, I didn’t feel that it was necessary to ask permission to start a prayer and support group.
So many small support and prayer groups exist throughout the Archdiocese with no need for permission. It is well within my vocation as a lay Catholic to discern and respond to the need of people to encounter God.
Regarding the second point of investigation, I was told that since I started doing ministry eight years ago, I have had both lay and clergy opposition. Essentially, I have been able to work through the years because I have kept matters private.
However, through the years my opponents have been carefully scrutinizing my life and with the formation of CORE found their reason to formally lodge a complaint.
I was asked directly if I am in a relationship with a male and have a daughter. I refused to answer. I gave my reasons:
1. If I’m so carefully scrutinized, what is to stop all church workers from being scrutinized?
2. Why is my “sin” grounds for dismissal while other sins are not? Many employees of the Archdiocese conscientiously object to certain church teachings, e.g. contraception. Others are not even Catholic. So why are some beliefs casually overlooked? I believe this is due to homophobia.
3. If we are to hire and fire people shouldn’t we use Jesus’ criteria? Who shall inherit the kingdom of God, but those who serve the least of these. I have served faithfully, helping those in need of God, consistently giving in a spirit of compassion and patience. If we are to judge one another, should it not be for ways we have served like Christ?
At the investigation, I asked for a dialogue with my Archbishop.
Months later, I was called for another meeting. There, the investigator stated that the Archbishop has refused to meet with me and that I am to answer the question (of whether or not I am in a relationship) before the investigator and my priest on behalf of the Archbishop.
Again, I refused to answer. About a month later (Tuesday, February 6) I was called into my priest’s office in the presence of the head of Human Resources for the Archdiocese and was terminated on the grounds that I am in a relationship. They took my refusal to answer as sufficient evidence to prove that I am in one.
Wherever you stand on the same sex issue, I believe my termination is unjust. I believe the denial of a prayer and support group for LGBTQ Catholics is unjust. I believe being terminated for conscientiously and respectfully disagreeing with a church teaching is a slippery slope for all church workers and therefore unjust.
Worse still, it sends a damaging message to all LGBTQ Catholics that they have no place in the Church.
It is also my hope that you keep me in your prayers. I pray for the wisdom and courage to speak out about these injustices as I am now called to do. I am happy if you reached out to me for any concerns or questions, as I know some of you will be curious.
DIGNITY CANADA PAST PRESIDENT WRITES
Dear Archbishop Richard Smith:
It has come to my attention that Mr. Mark Guevara, a parish assistant in the Archdiocese of Edmonton was recently dismissed from his position for being gay. This grossly unjust action is contrary to the teaching of Jesus Himself who has invited us all to simply “love one another” which is exactly what we gay people do.
One’s sexual orientation is one of discovery, not one of choice, and a gift from God, our loving Creator. Jesus made no conditions as to who may love whom or who may or may not enter into any loving relationship.
I myself, entirely educated in the Catholic school system and a former seminarian, was severely chastised by a bishop in a diocese where I used to live, for identifying myself as a “gay” Catholic.
Any demeaning, discrimination, or persecution towards LGBT people is usually the result of gross ignorance of God’s beautiful diversity of human sexualities, and all unjust actions from hostile authorities are expressions of spiritual abuse, pure and simple.
Even though we Catholics can bless our food, buildings, etc., and on the feast of St. Francis where some parishes allow people to bring their pets to be blessed, but will or can not bless two women or two men in love with each other? Not a chance! What a poor example of a so-called community of believers that the Catholic Church has become.
How sad that most of the Catholic clergy, i.e. mainly bishops and cardinals, are spiritually blind to God’s beautiful diversity of human sexualities.
As to the serious situation at hand, may you, Archbishop Smith do the Christian responsible outreach by reinstating Mark Guevara to his former position. And my you and your like-minded fellow bishops be more Christ like in your connections will all LGBT people within your jurisdictions.
In Christ,
Dennis Benoit, Vancouver
Past President, Dignity Canada, 2011
Kevin Simpson, Vancouver