Two groups with a history of a complicated relationship are the LGBTQ+ community and the Catholic Church. In an attempt to navigate this relationship, JCU is currently offering a workshop series titled “Accompanying LGBTQ+ Students at Catholic Schools.”

“It’s one of several initiatives on campus to engage in a big cultural conversation…it’s all motivated by the Catholic mission of the university to engage with the world that we live in,” shared Doctor Edward Hahnenberg, the Breen Chair of Catholic Theology and one of the event organizers.

Hahnenberg shared that the workshop, which is broken up into three different sessions, “emerged in the fall semester in part as a result of a policy implemented in the Diocese of Cleveland having to do with gender and sexuality. One of the things in that policy was a strong exhortation to really work to accompany these students in these schools.”

With this knowledge, workshop panelist members worked to create the curriculum. The panelists are as follows: Doctor Medora Barnes, professor and chair of the Sociology and Criminology Department at John Carroll University; Doctor Joe Krivos, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Counseling at John Carroll University; Doctor Dan Reynolds, associate professor and chair of the Department of Education at John Carroll University and Hahnenberg.

“We knew we wanted to reach all the adults who are connected to Catholic schools and working in them. It came out of months of conversations…it was a combination of the expertise that we [panelists] bring, what we think is important to address. It was an organic process coming out of those conversations,” shared Hahnenberg.

Hahnenberg further discussed the planning process for this event. “It began with conversations between myself and Doctor Dan Reynolds, who’s the chair of the Education Department, about some of the things that John Carroll could do to help support faculty and staff at Catholic schools. Obviously, the issue is not new. LGBT+ students have been in Catholic schools since their beginning, but it’s newly prominent in the way that it’s entered into the public awareness especially in Catholic circles relatively quickly. That means that a lot of staff and school members aren’t quite sure how to navigate that.”

The first workshop, titled “Wellness,” took place on March 20. Elizabeth Hjort, director of Campus Ministry at Incarnate Word Academy, attended this first workshop and shared some information about the topics discussed.

“Doctor Medora Barnes, Doctor Joe Krivos, Doctor Dan Reynolds and Doctor Edward Hahnenberg presented relevant data regarding the risk factors (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) that LGBTQ+ students face today. They also spoke to the life-saving role that just one caring and educated adult can play in the life of an LGBTQ+ student.”

Hjort further shared more about the format of the workshop stating “Dr. Hahnenberg introduced the three panelists and gave a bit of background on the topic, followed by Dr. Barnes and Dr. Krivos each giving a short presentation based on their area of expertise. We had time then to debrief and discuss what we had just learned at our tables. At the end of the session Dr. Reynolds moderated a short Q&A.”

The second workshop, which is set to take place on April 10, is titled “Identity Development.” The third and final workshop will take place on April 24 and is titled “Accompaniment.”

The workshop is open to all Catholic school parents, teachers and staff. Hjort shared her personal reasons for initially signing up for the first workshop. “As a campus minister, I am passionate about helping to ensure that all students, regardless of their race, religion, economic status or sexual orientation/gender identity, feel safe, included and loved at their Catholic school. Too often this community experiences extreme marginalization, including in faith-based settings. When this opportunity arose I leaped at the chance to learn more about what our LGBTQ+ students and parents need and how I can grow as a campus minister to better serve them.”

Looking at the outcome of attending this workshop series, Hjort shared how she plans to use the information that she learned in her role as a campus minister.

“When I worked at a Catholic high school, I more frequently encountered students who identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Now that I work at an elementary school, that’s different. However, something Dr. Krivos said that stuck with me is that just because students don’t identify as LGBTQ+ doesn’t mean that they aren’t impacted by this topic. Their parents, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends may be members of this community.”

Hjort further shared, “Therefore, how they perceive their Catholic school’s compassion, or lack of compassion, towards this community has definite consequences on their overall health and safety. How teachers and staff speak about, include and celebrate diverse voices in Church and society matters to our young people. I hope that as a campus minister I can help spread this message within my own school community and beyond.”

As this is such a relevant topic in schools today, this workshop series can be a great tool to learn more information about these topics. Registration for these workshops is still open, with the link to sign up located here.