After losing school job, gay teacher loses church job

People
Mar 5, 2012

FLORISSANT, Mo. -- A Catholic school music teacher who was fired after church officials learned he planned to marry his male partner has been fired from his other job as a music director at a suburban Catholic church.

Al Fischer, 46, was told by a priest at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Catholic Church in Florissant that he could no longer work as one of the parish's part-time music directors, a paid position he's held for several years, according to Fischer's partner, Charlie Robin.

The reason given by the priest, according to Robin, was that Fischer's firing and pending marriage had become "too public of an issue." The pastor at St. Rose could not be reached for comment.

Fischer declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of St. Louis said in an email that Fischer "was relieved of his duties [at St. Rose] when he publicly demonstrated a life inconsistent with Catholic teaching."