“I am gay. This fire burning deep inside my heart, I will no longer contain, I will not be silent any longer; the price to pay is way too great. I must speak my truth. I have lived far too many years chained up and imprisoned in the closet behind walls of shame, trauma and abuse because of the homophobia and discrimination so prevalent in my church and the world.”
These were the words of Father Gregory Greitan to his congregation at St. Bernadette Parish in Milwaukee at Sunday service on December 17, 2017. The announcement was received by the congregation with a standing ovation. Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki of Milwaukee strongly supported Father Greitan in a written statement.
In a December 19 interview on WTMJ, a Milwaukee station, Father Greiten further stated “We need healthy role models to be out there, to be able to say there is nothing wrong with being gay.”
