The Rev. Robert Nugent, priest who ministered to gay Catholics, dies at 76
By Emily Langer, Published: January 10 E-mail the writer
Robert Nugent, a Catholic priest who became nationally known for his pastoral work with gay men and lesbians, a ministry that was officially ended in 1999 when the Vatican declared it “erroneous and dangerous,” died Jan. 1 at a religious retirement community in Milwaukee. He was 76. The cause was cancer, said a niece, Kathleen Moran.
By the time of his confrontation with the Holy See, Father Nugent had developed both a community of devoted followers and a collection of angry critics. His admirers revered him for what they regarded as his courageous efforts to open wider the doors of the church, while opponents charged that he had violated Catholic dogma.
According to church doctrine, homosexuality is not sinful, but homosexuals acts are — a stance that has alienated many gay Catholics and others. When he began working with gay Catholics in the early 1970s, Father Nugent said, he was profoundly moved by the experience.
“What I found was people who loved the church very much,” he once said. “It was their family, their home. But they felt like the church didn’t want them. There was a great love-hate relationship.”
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