St. Agatha Catholic School, a Portland-based Catholic school serving grades pre-K through 8, is facing backlash from some parents after rescinding an offer of enrollment to the children of a same-sex couple at the direction of the Rev. Father Luan Tran, pastor of the affiliated St. Agatha Catholic Church.
The family — who requested anonymity out of concern for their safety — applied to enroll their children last May, even arranging for one child to “shadow” a student for a day. They informed the school of their family situation.
“Our child had such a great day there [on his shadow day],” one parent told The Oregonian/Oregon Live. “After I picked him up, we went to the park, and when we drove back by, he said, ‘there’s my school.'”
In late June, the parents received an email from principal Dr. Trista Casey, inviting them to a meeting to “better understand your hopes in choosing a Catholic education for your children” and to share more about the “teachings of the Catholic church, especially as they relate to the mission and values that guide our school.”
When the parents arrived at the July 17 meeting, the principal already had a check refunding their registration fee and informed them that the school was rescinding its offer of enrollment, leaving them scrambling to find a new school before the academic year began.
“[Tran] said that he wanted to protect young children from seeing families like ours, and that having our family be a part of the school could be perceived as a scandal,” one parent said. “He said that in Catholicism, marriage is between a man and a woman, and what would it do to the other kids in the class to find out our kids have two parents of the same sex?”
Word of the situation spread quickly through the St. Agatha community, alarming some parents and angering others who believe Catholic schools should welcome all families, regardless of structure.
Tran urged those with questions to contact him directly. Several families who did so told The Oregonian/Oregon Live he said enrolling the child of a same-sex couple conflicted with the school’s mission to educate and support Catholic families. One longtime parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said she asked Tran if there was any scenario where such a child might be a good fit, but received no definitive answer.
In a brief note to families, Tran referred obliquely to the matter, saying the decision was made “solely under my pastoral authority and discernment, as pastor of both the parish and the school.”
Under Catholic doctrine, same-sex couples are not permitted to marry, as their relationship is considered a sin. Former Pope Francis adopted — and Pope Leo XIV has kept in place — a policy allowing priests to offer limited pastoral blessings to people in same-sex relationships, provided they do not endorse the union or equate it with a man-woman marriage.
Historically, Catholic schools in Portland — including St. Agatha — have allowed non-Catholic families to enroll. However, there is no blanket rule on admitting children of same-sex couples within the archdiocese. One parent said Tran pointed out that St. Agatha has admitted LGBTQ students and, for the most part, embraced both students and parents.
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Portland referred questions to Elias Moo, director of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. Moo did not return repeated calls from The Oregonian/Oregon Live, and emails to his address bounced back as undeliverable, the newspaper noted.
Moo’s appointment reflects a broader shift in the Archdiocese toward a more traditional approach to Catholic schooling. The National Catholic Review reported that Moo has close ties to the movement for Catholic Liberal Education, a stricter, more classical vision for schools that centers God and religious teachings across all subjects.
Anne Smeraglio, a St. Agatha parent, said she is considering pulling her children from the school — and knows at least eight other families debating the same — over what they see as discrimination against families headed by same-sex couples, despite their positive overall impressions of the school and staff.
“Silence is acceptance,” she said. “I think part of the reason we have seen the changes in our society in recent years is because good people don’t stand up and say no. But I don’t want to see St. Agatha hurt. My kid has been incredibly happy there. The teachers have been amazing.”
Kari Kamper, a parent of two St. Agatha graduates, wrote to Tran saying her family would pause financial support of the school and church, and would urge other families to do the same, “until a more inclusive and compassionate approach is restored.”
“To exclude a family based on sexual orientation contradicts the teachings of Jesus, who welcomed the marginalized and loved without condition,” Kamper wrote. “It sends a harmful message to students and the broader community — that some people are unworthy of belonging. This is not the lesson our children should learn from a Catholic school.”
Roman Catholic priests will continue to be permitted to offer blessings to individuals in same-sex relationships under Pope Leo XIV, maintaining a policy approved by his predecessor, Pope Francis, that has drawn criticism from conservative Catholics.
The continuation of the policy was confirmed on July 3 by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, in an interview with the Rome-based daily Il Messaggero. The Vatican did not issue an official statement, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican and member of the New Progressive Party, has signed what is now the strictest law in the United States prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 21, with steep penalties for violations.
The law imposes a $50,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison for each violation by health care professionals who provide gender-affirming care to minors and young adults. Offenders would also lose their medical licenses and permits and would be permanently barred from practicing medicine in Puerto Rico, reports The Hill.
Eric and Sara Smith, owners of Born Again Used Books -- a 21-year-old Christian bookstore in Colorado Springs -- are suing state officials over a new law that prohibits discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people based on how they choose to be addressed.
The lawsuit challenges the Kelly Loving Act, named for a transgender woman killed in the 2022 Club Q shooting, which expands the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and was signed in May by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
The law expands the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and advertising based on "gender expression," which includes a person’s appearance, manner of dress, behavior, chosen name, and how they choose to be addressed.
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