John F. Harvey

John Francis Harvey, O.S.F.S. (April 14, 1918–December 27, 2010) was a priest of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a moral theologian of the Catholic Church, and the founder of the DeSales School of Theology in Washington, D.C. He wrote about homosexuality and Roman Catholicism.^[1] He founded Courage Apostolate, which is a Catholic organization that advises gay and lesbian, though he preferred the term "same-sex attracted", Catholics to be chaste.^[2][3]

Early life and ordination

John Francis Harvey was born on April 14, 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest of four children of Patrick J. and Margaret (née Harkins) Harvey. Patrick Harvey, a devout Catholic, was a native of Ireland. Margaret died when John Francis was an infant.^[4]

John Francis attended St. Columba Parish School, and after graduating from Northeast Catholic High School for Boys in 1936, he entered the Oblate Novitiate in Childs, MD, making his first profession of vows on September 8, 1937, and his perpetual vows on September 8, 1940.^[5] After earning his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1941 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., he continued his studies at that institution, earning a master’s in psychology and philosophy, a licentiate in theology and, ten years later, a doctorate in moral theology.^[6] He was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 1944, at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia by Hugh L. Lamb, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia.

Harvey was a lifelong and ardent fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies.^[7]

Priestly ministries

Educational and ministerial background

After ordination Father Harvey's served as a High school teacher at Northeast Catholic High School from 1945 to 1947. After this he became a Graduate student at The Catholic University of America, which he attended from 1947 to 1951. This further education lead to his becoming a Professor. He became a Professor of moral theology at Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross and worked there from 1948 to 1973. He also acted as Professor of moral theology at DeSales Hall School of Theology, Washington, D.C. from the somewhat overlapping period of 1949 to 1987. He served as that school's president from 1965 to 1977. In addition he held a role as a professor of moral theology and President of Cluster of Independent Theological Schools, Washington, D.C. from 1980 to 1983.^[8] He also served as a visiting professor at several colleges including Catholic Theological Union, Sydney, Australia, St. Joseph Seminary of the Archdiocese of New York, and Seton Hall University,.^[9]

From 1990-2010 he was Professor of medical and sexual ethics at the Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (since 2001, DeSales University) where he lived at Wills Hall, student residence.^[10] Additionally, he took on teaching duties at the Oblate House of Studies at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. until it was closed in 1997 due to a dearth of priestly candidates.^[7]

Courage Apostolate

Harvey is best known for urging the Catholics he called "same-sex attracted" to be chaste. The term "same-sex attracted" is often preferred by Catholics like him because they feel "gay" or "lesbian" is defining a person by their orientation in a way that is inadvisable.^[11] In November 1978, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R, recommended him to Terence Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop of New York, to start a new ministry for this purpose.^[12] Harvey started Courage Apostolate, a support group with five members. It had its first meeting on September 26, 1980, at the Church of St. Joseph in New York.^[13]

Harvey retired as Executive Director of Courage in 2008.^[14]

Publications

In his writings, Harvey defended the traditional Catholic position, while strongly contending that same-sex attracted or LGBT Catholics deserve compassionate pastoral care.^[15] In 1987, he published his best-known book, The Homosexual Person: New Thinking in Pastoral Care. In it, he critiqued the views of those theologians who argue that the Church’s longstanding prohibition of same-sex acts is wrong. Among others, he also wrote two other books, The Truth about Homosexuality, and Homosexuality and the Catholic Church. Paul D. Scalia writes that no collection of works "provide an authentically Catholic examination of the issue with such depth and breadth. He not only presents the Church’s teaching clearly, but also examines the opposition with notable accuracy and fairness. And yet, for all that, his tone always remains placid and serene, presenting challenging truths and engaging the opposition without rancor or bitterness." ^[16] Of the foregoing books, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke said that they "have been of inestimable assistance to all who want to understand homosexuality and respond in a Christ-like manner to brothers and sisters who struggle with same-sex attraction."^[17]

Retirement and death

Harvey retired to Annecy Hall, a retirement community for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in Childs, MD, in January 2010. He died on December 27, 2010, the feast of St. John the Evangelist, at Union Hospital in Elkton, MD, and was survived by his sister, Margaret Smith, and many nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings, Catherine Egan and James Harvey. The Mass for Christian Burial for Harvey was celebrated on Friday, December 31, 2010, at Our Lady of Light Chapel, 1120 Blue Ball Road, Elkton, MD.^[18] He is buried at the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales Cemetery, in Childs, Cecil County. MD.^[19]

Legacy

Harvey's approach won the endorsement of the Pontifical Council for the Family. This endorsement was an indication they saw it as achieving the proper balance between orthodoxy (correct belief) and orthopraxy (correct conduct, both ethical and liturgical) in his apostolate.^[20] Pope John Paul II said of this ministry, "Courage is doing the work of God!"^[21] In 2011, at the 31st Annual Courage Conference, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, then the Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, gave a tribute to the work of Harvey.^[22]

Those who disagree with the Catholic Church's position on homosexuality have been more critical toward his legacy. Timothy Kincaid, referring to an interview of Harvey's, once said "some statements in his interview that are odd – and in some instances comical – and which demonstrate the Church's schizophrenic approach to gay issues."^[23] That stated on Harvey's death Mr. Kincaid stated of him, "And while I disagree with much that Harvey espoused over the years, I do think that he was a man whose intents were compassionate and who sought neither political power, prestige, or personal advancement through his ex-gay endeavors."^[24]

Affiliations

• Harvey, along with Fr. Gerard Sloyan, and Sr. Rose Eileen Masterman, founded the Society of Catholic College Teachers of Sacred Doctrine in 1953. In 1967, the organization's name was changed to College Theology Society of America.^[25] Harvey was a Board member (1954-1956) and Vice President (1956-1958) of the Society.^[26] He retained his membership well into the 1980s.^[27]
• Harvey was a member of the Board of Advisors of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists;^[28] of the Mariological Society of America, where he was listed as "active" in 1980;^[29] and of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.

Honors

Awards

• The Linacre Quarterly Award for Distinguished Writing presented by the Catholic Medical Association in 1983 in recognition of his numerous contributions between 1969 and 1984.^[30]
• The John Cardinal Wright Award in September 1988, in a ceremony in Boston, MA. The prize is given to a Catholic judged to have done an outstanding service for the Catholic Church, in memory of the late John Cardinal Wright, who was prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy from 1969 until his death in 1979. In its citation, the Mariological Society of America noted Harvey's decades' long pastoral service to the Catholic homosexual community and his prodigious scholarly output on the subject.^[31]
• In 1998, the Franciscan University of Steubenville awarded Harvey the Courage in Faith Award.^[32]
• The Cardinal Cooke Medal of Peace on October 6, 2003, from Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, 7th Archbishop for the Military Services, during a special mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The prize, established in 1988, recognizes people who exemplify the life of Christ in this world. In its citation, the Cardinal Cooke Guild recognized Harvey's work with Courage, emphasizing that it is in accord with Catholic teaching.^[33]
• The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars gave Harvey its Founder's Award in 2010, shortly before his death, in recognition for his magnificent contributions to the Fellowship.^[7]

Honorary degrees

Harvey received the Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary) from Assumption College in 1986, and from Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University) in 1988.

Other recognition

• A chair in moral theology at DeSales University is named after Harvey. It was established by the Board of Trustees of the university, and endowed by donations from the numerous friends and supporters of Harvey. The first and current holder is Dr. Brian Kane, Professor of Theology and Head of the Division of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.^[34]
• A residential building for juniors and seniors at DeSales University that is slated for completion in 2015 will be named for Harvey.^[35]

Selected works

Books

• Moral Theology of The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Doctoral Dissertation, Washington D.C.: Catholic Univ. of America Press, 1951. ISBN 978-1258129682; reprinted in 2009 as ISBN 978-1606084236
• Pastoral Care and the Homosexual, New Haven, CT: Catholic Information Service, Knights of Columbus, 1977. ASIN B000727LYO
• Counselling the Homosexual, with Fr. John R. Cavannagh, (eds.), Huntington, IN., Our Sunday Visitor, 1977. ISBN 978-0879737610
• On Understanding Human Sexuality, with William E. May, Cincinnati, OH: Franciscan Press, 1978. ISBN 978-0819907202
• A Spiritual Plan to Redirect One's Life: For Today's Homosexual, Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media, 1979. ISBN 978-0819869326
• As editor, The Homosexual Person: New Thinking in Pastoral Care, San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0898701692
• Homosexuality: The Questions; Scriptural, Church & Psychiatric Answers, with Joseph A. DiIenno, Herbert F. Smith, Boston, MA: Daughters of St. Paul, an imprint of Pauline Books and Media, 1989. ISBN 978-0819833327
• The Truth about Homosexuality: The Cry of the Faithful, San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0898705836. Translated into Polish as Prawda o homoseksualizmie. Wołanie wiernych, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Księży Marianów, 1998. ISBN 83-7119-140-5.
• With Mind and Heart Renewed: Essays in Honor of Rev. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S. on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday and the 55th Anniversary of His Ordination to the Priesthood, Thomas F. Dailey, (ed.), Lanham, MD: Univ. Press of America, 2001. ISBN 978-0761820000
• As editor with Gerard V. Bradley, Same Sex Attraction: A Parents' Guide, South Bend, IN: St. Augustine Press, 2003. ISBN 978-1587317514
• Homosexuality & the Catholic Church: Clear Answers to Difficult Questions, West Chester, PA: Ascension Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1932927627
• Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice, Fr. Gabriel B. O'Donnell, O.P., (ed.), New Haven, CT: Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, 2007. Translated into French as Attirance homosexuelle : accompagner les personnes, Mili Hawran et le p. Louis-Marie Guitton, (trans.), Paray-le-Monial (Saône-et-Loire): editions de l'Emmanuel, 2015. ISBN 978-2-35389-402-4

See also

• Homosexuals Anonymous
• Restored Hope Network

External links

• Courage International (Official Site)

References