Gay Unitarian Named Dean of Catholic College

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5/25/2005

By Matt Abbott
Op/Ed

A Catholic college in Vermont is getting an openly-homosexual dean, according to a story in ‘Out in the Mountains,’ Vermont’s “voice for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, [and] transgender people.”

The story, written by Stacey Horn, says that “Professor Jeffrey Trumbower, a gay man and a Unitarian, has been appointed dean of St. Michael’s College, a Catholic school established in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests.

“Trumbower, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School, currently chairs the Religious Studies Department at St. Mike’s, where he has been on the faculty for 16 years. Though he is not the first non-Catholic to be dean of the college, he is the first openly gay man in the position….

“According to search committee chair and political science professor Bill Grover, ‘We were very fortunate to have two terrific people [apply] and Jeff rose to the top.’ Grover said that religion was not a factor in choosing the dean and that the committee wanted a candidate who would ‘fit with the overall mission of the college.’ Of Trumbower, Grover said, ‘He’s going to be a terrific dean….’

“Trumbower came to St. Mike’s in 1989, after completing his dissertation. He was not familiar with the area before he came, and when he arrived, he ‘started going to the church at the head of church street. I resonated with that community and realized that I was home spiritually.’ Trumbower met his partner here in Vermont. They have been together for ten years. . . .

Full article
 
How can a school consider itself Catholic if the person who runs it is not? Who ensures the consistancy of theological education?
 
Ok I really hate to bring up old threads but does anyone know if this came true?..This is a college which I am interested in and am discerning with the Society of Saint Edmund…and I have heard nothing of this…
 
So much for that…I guess I can cross the Edmunites of my list…funny that when speaking to their vocations director I informed him that I was a trad and he made no mention of this…
 
Ok I really hate to bring up old threads but does anyone know if this came true?..This is a college which I am interested in and am discerning with the Society of Saint Edmund…and I have heard nothing of this…
Looks like it did not happen. Here is a link to the President’s page. The current president is stepping down and the new one is mentioned.

Looks like Trumbower is still there, but is no longer in the Chair of the Religious Studies Department either.
 
nah the previous link showed him as Dean, not president, and still dept. chair…oh well…more the reason for me to want to attend Franciscan!
 
…was there not just another post here or am i losing my mind?
 
So much for that…I guess I can cross the Edmunites of my list…funny that when speaking to their vocations director I informed him that I was a trad and he made no mention of this…
Before you blame them you should find out how much control they still have over the school.
 
Before you blame them you should find out how much control they still have over the school.
Your wise words never cease to amaze me! I should probably check with this haha! Thanks Byz! (btw, Carmelites are still numero uno on my list)
 
Your wise words never cease to amaze me! I should probably check with this haha! Thanks Byz! (btw, Carmelites are still numero uno on my list)
Just so you know, the pre-novitiate has been moved. It is now in Chicago instead of Houston.
 
I am not surprised about this happening at a supposedly Catholic university. I work at a Catholic university and for years the head of the theology department was a Hindu.
 
My wife just took a position at St. Mike’s. I graduated from there in 1995 and was shocked when I encountered Prof. Trumbower in one of my intro to religion classes.

His status at the school nearly cost St. Mike’s my wife’s world class talents, but there are other reasons to return to the area beyond St. Mike’s.

We hope to work to save the Catholic identity of St. Mike’s, but the Edmundites are disappearing.
 
This sounds really disappointing. I wouldn’t mind if he were gay, but was one of those courage men who refuse to indulge in sexuality. Though this doesn’t sound like the situation. I guess this College is off my grad school search.
 
Again, I HATE bringing up old threads but can anyone share any other experiences with this school? It appears to be very far left, only problem is, I love Vermont, and this school is way high up on my college list…(I’m a junior)
 
Again, I HATE bringing up old threads but can anyone share any other experiences with this school? It appears to be very far left, only problem is, I love Vermont, and this school is way high up on my college list…(I’m a junior)
Pick up the horn and call them.

Go visit, quiz them, ask questions!

Praying for you!
 
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