St. Gabriel Catholic Church in South Charlotte, NC, fired its musical director last month because he married his partner in New York, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Steav Bates-Congdon, 61, began working at St. Gabriel in 2004 and parishioners claim that Bates-Congdon was open about being gay since his first interview with the church. Even his partner of 23 years, Bill Bates-Congdon, 47, was often involved in the church’s music department and ended up joining the hand-bell choir.
St. Gabriel is one of the biggest parishes in the city and has about 10,000 members. The couple married in a state park in Upstate New York on Oct. 15. Bates-Congdon returned to St. Gabriel on Jan. 19 after a going on a honeymoon and having to go to the hospital due to his appendix rupturing. Instead of being greeted by his co-workers, Rev. Frank O’Rourke, a pastor and a colleague of Bates-Congdon, handed the music director a note.
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