DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – St. Norbert College held a mass celebrating solidarity Sunday night.
But the church, the school, and the LGBTQ plus group on campus had a little trouble coming together on the plan.
The mass follows “National Coming Out Day” on Friday, and kicks off a week of LGBTQ events planned on campus this week.
Students gathered outside Old St. Joe’s Church to send this message:
“To spread messages of love and inclusion and to you know let everyone know that they are welcome here because we weren’t allowed to celebrate within the church so now we are celebrating outside,” said Randi Groff, president of the LGBTQ plus spectrum alliance at St. Norbert College.
Groff tries to explain to FOX 11 the evolution of the celebration.
“It started with the mass being called a solidarity mass, and then it changed to a mass celebrating solidarity and then now there is no solidarity mass at all.”
But leaders at the college tells FOX 11 the mass happened, but with some changes.
“I think some of the elements that were originally envisioned and hoped for, as they got reviewed it was decided that they needed to be adjusted,” said Julie Massey.
Massey is the college’s interim vice president for mission and student affairs.
She says while she doesn’t have many details on those changes, one of them included announcements for the rest of the coming out week activities on campus.
“The coming out week activities that we’re looking forward to and are excited about on campus, those are campus activities and so the parish I think was looking at sort of whats the responsibility to announce and what falls beyond that.”
But Groff disagrees.
“Kind of saying things like we couldn’t use the word solidarity because there was no solidarity between the LGBTQ plus community and the service itself,” Massey said.
Until the college and student advocates get on the same page, they’re preaching the same message.
We’re just here to love,” Groff said.
“Love our neighbor and that’s the bottom line,” said Massey.
Other activities planned for this week on campus are expected to go on as scheduled.
