Chicago Catholic School Loses Top Donor After Hiring Coach in Same-Sex Marriage

A group of Benedictine monks will no longer be offering financial support to a Catholic high school in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, after the school hired a woman in a same-sex marriage in September.

Benet Academy announced St. Procopius Abbey's separation from the school in a letter released Tuesday and signed by Abbot Austin G. Murphy and Dennis M. Flynn, Benet Academy's chancellor and board chair, respectively.

"Events in recent months have been an occasion for the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey to examine their future relationship with Benet Academy. After much deliberation, the monks as a community have discerned that they no longer have the resources needed for governance and oversight of the Academy," Benet Academy's letter read on the school's website.

The message from Murphy and Flynn continued: "Currently, alternatives for the Academy's governance are being studied. In the meantime, the Abbey will continue its role in the governance of the high school. The goal is that Benet Academy will continue to operate with an emphasis on academic excellence and Catholic identity within the Benedictine tradition."

Problems between the abbey and Benet began when the school hired Amanda Kammes as the school's next head lacrosse coach. The school first offered Kammes the coaching position but then rescinded its offer after she listed her wife as an emergency contact.

Protests ensued on Kammes' behalf from students and parents, including an online petition signed by more than 4,000 people. Benet's board of directors eventually reversed course and gave her the job.

"Going forward we will look for opportunities for dialogue in our community about how we remain true to our Catholic mission while meeting people where they are in their personal journey through life," the school said in a September statement. "For now, we hope that this is the first step in healing the Benet community."

At the time of Kammes' hiring, Murphy indicated he disagreed with her employment, saying in a statement he was "deeply troubled by the school's decision which calls into question its adherence to the doctrines of the Catholic faith."

St. Procopius Abbey founded Benet Academy more than 120 years ago and had been one of its biggest donors. The school's annual report showed the monks gave at least $50,000 to the school during the 2019-20 academic year, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

Regarding the separation from the abbey, Stephen Marth, Benet Academy head of school, also released a statement this week:

​​​​​​​"Contrary to some reports circulating in the media earlier today, know of our steadfast commitment to ensuring that the Academy will maintain its Catholic identity, in the Benedictine tradition, for years to come. It is expected that a committee composed of representatives from the Diocese of Joliet, the American Cassinese Congregation of Benedictines, the Benet Board of Directors, and the school administration will collaborate on the successful completion of this important process."

Newsweek contacted Benet Academy for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.