19,775 Catholics Urge Pennsylvania Parish to Cancel Fr. James Martin Talk
News Release:
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. — Faithful Catholics are urging Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church to disinvite Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin from a scheduled talk on Feb. 7, 2026, citing his public dissent from Catholic moral teaching and the grave scandal such appearances cause within the Church.
The effort is being led by TFP Student Action, a national network of Catholic students and concerned parents committed to defending moral values. A petition addressed to Rev. Thomas D. O’Donald, pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Church, calls for Fr. Martin to be replaced with a speaker who faithfully upholds Church teaching on faith and morals.
“Fr. Martin’s public promotion of LGBT ideology is an open act of revolt against the perennial moral doctrine of the Catholic Church,” said John Ritchie, director of TFP Student Action. “Allowing him to speak in a parish setting sows confusion about clear and settled teachings of the Church.”
Fr. Martin has drawn sustained criticism for supporting transgender ideology, including for children; urging Catholics to “reverence” homosexual unions; and “blessing” sinful same-sex unions.
According to TFP Student Action, these positions contradict Sacred Scripture, natural law, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, papal documents, the Fathers of the Church, and the consistent witness of the saints throughout 2,000 years of Church history.
In the petition to Rev. O’Donald, 19,775 signatories write:
“I prayerfully urge you to disinvite Fr. James Martin as a speaker on February 7, 2026. Fr. Martin’s public pro-LGBT activism and open revolt against Catholic teaching causes scandal, especially among young Catholics. Please find a replacement speaker who respects God’s law.”
The organization notes that peaceful opposition has previously led Catholic institutions to cancel appearances by Fr. Martin. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre disinvited him from a gala event in New York City, The Catholic University of America canceled a scheduled appearance, and Holy Family University removed him from its 2025 commencement ceremony following public protest.
“Charity never separates mercy from truth,” Ritchie said. “Catholics have both the right and the duty to speak up when voices within the Church promote ideas that contradict Our Lord’s teachings and place souls at risk.”
TFP Student Action emphasized that its protest is not personal, but rooted in fidelity to Christ and concern for the spiritual welfare of souls.
“As Catholics, we trust Our Lord’s promise that the gates of Hell shall not prevail,” Ritchie said. “That promise calls us to defend the truth—especially today when some pastors act like wolves instead of shepherds.”
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