Parents at a Catholic school in Portland, Oregon, are facing a wrenching choice following the decision by the pastor there to rescind an offer of enrollment to the child of a same-sex couple.Silence is acceptance, said Anne Smeraglio, a parent at St. Agatha Catholic School in Southeast Portland, who, along with at least eight other families she knows of, is considering withdrawing their children from the school. Related A Catholic school fired a teacher just for being gay. An appeals court just agreed with the school. Lonnie Billard got fired for posting about his wedding on Facebook and has been fighting the school in court since 2017. In May, a family headed by a same-sex couple was welcomed to St. Agathas for a shadow day for their child, and the school was aware the parents, who requested anonymity for their safety, were gay, the Oregonian reports. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Our child had such a great day there, one parent said. After I picked him up, we went to the park, and when we drove back by, he said, Theres my school.A month later, the parents were invited to a meeting with the schools leader, the Rev. Father Luan Tran, pastor of the neighboring St. Agatha Catholic Church, 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.At the meeting in July, the schools principal presented them with a check refunding their registration fee.Rev. Tran told them 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, the parent said. He said that in Catholicism, marriage is between a man and woman, and what would it do to the other kids in the class to find out that our kids have two parents of the same sex?The parents said they havent had the heart yet to tell their child about the change. Word of the pastors actions spread quickly through the St. Agatha community and the surrounding Sellwood neighborhood, where the majority of the schools families reside. It caused an uproar.Kari Kamper, a parent of two St. Agathas graduates, wrote to Tran to say that her family would pause financial support of the school and St. Agathas Catholic Church and that she would encourage others in her community 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 in her letter. It sends a harmful message to students and the broader communitythat some people are unworthy of belonging. This is not the lesson our children should learn from a Catholic school. On Thursday, Tran referred to his choice in a brief email to St Agathas parents.I am writing to you today to address a recent decision concerning the enrollment of a new family at St. Agatha Catholic School. I want to be clear and transparent in sharing that this decision was made solely under my pastoral authority and discernment, as pastor of both the parish and the school.Trans actions come as the archdiocese overseeing St. Agathas takes a conservative turn. In late 2024, the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education for the archdiocese released a new mission statement designed to provide a clear and unifying vision of what, in the heart and mind of the Catholic Church, must be true for a Catholic school to fulfill its mission.The new guidance was mandated by Western Oregon Archbishop Alexander Sample, who has imposed an evangelical approach to education that hews more closely to what he says are the core historical teachings of the Catholic Church.Sample is the last American residential bishop appointed by Benedict XVI, Pope Franciss orthodox predecessor.Smeraglio, one of the parents considering leaving the school, said she wants to see Tran reverse his decision and offer an apology. But shes torn.I think part of the reason we have seen the changes in our society in recent years is because good people dont stand up and say no. But I dont want to see St. Agatha hurt. My kid has been incredibly happy there. The teachers have been amazing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.