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Catholic Teen In Minnesota Denied Confirmation Over Pro-Gay Facebook Post

Lennon Cihak

BARNESVILLE, MN -- A Catholic priest in Minnesota denied confirmation to a 17 year-old student after seeing a picture on his Facebook page last month.

Lennon Cihak was pictured in front an altered political sign which originally read “Vote Yes” on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment- which would have changed the state’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman- Lennon had scribbled out the “yes” and replaced it with “NO!” 

The decision by the Rev. Gary LaMoine, the rector of the Assumption Church, angered Cihak's mother who said her son has gone to church every week and volunteered around the community in preparation for his confirmation this year.

“You kind of know the Catholic beliefs, but I never thought they would deny somebody confirmation because you weren’t 100 percent. I guess that’s what shocks me,” Shana Cihak said. 

She added that she was called by the priest soon after the photo was discovered and was told her son would not be allowed to complete confirmation.

Lennon Cihak said fellow students in his Catholic confirmation class had also “liked” the photo on Facebook, but were not penalised.

“I just thought it was wrong to single him out,” His mother said. Her husband, Doug Cihak, agreed. “(LaMoine) was talking about ‘God doesn’t believe in this.’ Well, God created Lennon,” said Doug, adding that he was baptized and raised in the same church. 

But now the family is not allowed to participate in Communion there, Doug said, and he’s worried as to how far the sanctions will go, expressing concern about being able to be buried alongside his parents. 

Still, Doug insists he’s not mad at LaMoine, calling him just a “messenger” of the church. The same could not be said for his wife, who said she does not plan on returning to the church ever again, her son nodding in agreement. 

“You should be able to go to a church for support, help,” Lennon said. “He pushed me away.” Shana said she contacted Bishop Michael Hoeppner of the Catholic Diocese in Crookston to see what her options were to appeal, but Hoeppner said not much could be done.  ~ The Barnesville/Detroit Lakes Online 

A more formal appeal could still be filed the family said although for his part, Cihak said his faith hasn’t faltered.

“I don’t want the church to be put down. I don’t want the Catholic religion to be put down,” he said. “It’s just the way the priest has things running. He’s so strict. He won’t loosen up about things.”