Getting married put St. Gabriel Catholic Church music director Steav Bates-Congdon in the unemployment line, the Charlotte Observer reported. Bates-Congdon was fired Jan. 19—following an Oct. 15 wedding in New York, subsequent honeymoon and hospital stay.
(Left to right) Bill and Steav Congdon-Bates
Steav, 61, married Bill, 47, in a New York state park. Steav worked at St. Gabriel in Charlotte, N.C., since 2004 and was honest about his orientation since the job interview.
In fact, Bill himself was involved in the music department. After returning from a hospital stay for a burst appendix, Rev. Frank O’Rourke handed Steav a note.
“Employees of St. Gabriel … are expected to live within the moral tradition of the Church…Your civil marriage stands in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church, therefore ending your employment with us, effective today,” it read.
Photo: Charlotteobserver.com
