Peaceful protests at St. Leo Church
RIDGWAY--Dozens of protestors gathered outside the St. Leo Catholic Church in Ridgway on Saturday and Sunday to protest on behalf of former faith formation teacher and Parish Council Member Council member Beau Grove, who was reportedly removed from his duties at the church.
Waving gay pride flags and holding up signs, the protesters received support from those driving by on the busy Main Street with honking horns and waves from those who opened their windows even during a cold snap.
Neary 50 people gathered for the Saturday evening Mass, while about 20 made it to the Sunday 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses to protest in opposition of an order that reportedly came from the office of Diocese of Erie Bishop Lawrence T. Persico.
Grove is Ridgway born and was a lifelong parishioner of St. Leo's until his reported removal from church and school duties allegedly for being a married gay man.
Signs held up by the protesters included the phrase "WWJD?" (What Would Jesus Do?) and pointed out that Jesus had two dads. Other signs included "Being you is Beau-tiful" and "Love not Hate." While not all of the protesters came from St. Leo Parish, most were community members that came out to support Grove and his family.
The protests remained peaceful both on Saturday and Sunday, even though the Ridgway Borough Police Department dispatched two cars to sit in the parking lot in anticipation of clashes, none occurred.
Bishop Lawrence T. Persico came to speak at the Saturday service and directed the reading of a letter to the Sunday Masses.
"I traveled to Ridgway for Saturday evening's Mass on this first weekend of Lent because I am aware the community of St Leo
in Ridgway has experienced significant anguish and dissension in recent days. As Bishop, this causes me great pain,” Persico said.
Persico went on to add that it would be inappropriate to discuss details of what is a private matter.
“Even though we are not perfect, the Church does have expectations for those who serve in public ministries. It is my responsibility as your Bishop, and Father Pino's responsibility as your Pastor, to ensure those expectations are met. Those who minister have an obligation to live in accordance with the Gospel and with the teachings of the Church.” (Please see the full letter from Bishop Persico.)
Late last week, when The Ridgway Record reached out for comment to Grove and his family, they indicated that they have nothing to do with the organization behind the protests, but believe that everyone has the right to free speech and peaceful protest.
Organized on Facebook under the title “Love is Love” and #istandwithBeau by Jes Blauser and Marla McGuire, over 300 people have indicated that they were interested in the event that was scheduled before each of the weekend Masses.
Blauser made sure that the protests did not interfere with the worship service, keeping the protests on the public sidewalks that flank the parking lot at St. Leo's.
"We are not here to cause trouble, but only to support Beau and express our dismay at the recent decisions that came down from the Diocese of Erie," Blauser said.
In speaking with The Ridgway Record, Grove admitted to being a bit overwhelmed by all the support he has received over the past week and thanked everyone for all their efforts, including the writing of hundreds of letters to the Diocese of Erie. Grove was reportedly read a letter that came from Bishop Persico after he attended morning Mass last week.
When The Ridgway Record reached out for comment last week to St. Leo's Church and School along with the Elk County Catholic School System, there were no responses received by press time. The Diocese of Erie provided one short response from the Director of Communications, Anne-Marie Welsh.
"The situation will be addressed with the parish before any public comments are made,” Welsh wrote.