Indiana
Indiana diocese issues school guidelines affirming biological sex
CNA Staff, Sep 20, 2024 / 14:10 pm
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, released guidelines on Sept.12 affirming that diocesan schools and institutes must practice the Church’s teaching on sexuality and gender while being compassionate toward those struggling with gender dysphoria.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades notes in the policy that all diocesan institutes must use pronouns that align with a student’s biological sex. The policy does not permit the use of “‘preferred pronouns” in any capacity.
It further requires that students use the uniforms and bathrooms that match their biological “God-given sexual identity” and attend single-sex sports and programs that match their biological sex as well.
The 11-page document, approved earlier this month by Rhoades, also prohibits “public advocacy for, or celebration of, sexual behavior or ideologies contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
“Active, hostile, and public defiance of these teachings is prohibited since it is harmful to the institution’s Catholic identity and mission,” Rhoades writes.
Regarding the treatment of people struggling with gender dysphoria, Rhoades recommends a compassionate response that does not involve life-altering surgeries or sterilizing drugs.
Diocesan institutions may not cooperate in “transgender” surgical or chemical interventions such as puberty blockers or surgery on diocesan property, the guidelines say.
“While we strongly support efforts to alleviate the suffering of those who struggle with their sexual identity, we cannot support interventions which we believe ultimately harm them,” Rhoades notes. “We support pastoral and counseling services to alleviate their suffering and assist them in accepting the God-given gift of their sexual identity.”
Rhoades highlights the importance of chastity for all people. Single people must live chastity in continence, while married couples must live “conjugal chastity.”
“One of the greatest challenges today is the criticism and rejection by many of the Catholic Christian anthropology,” he writes. “In particular, the truths we uphold regarding sexual identity, sexuality, and marriage have become increasingly unpopular after decades of a cultural shift away from a previous consensus on these matters.”
Rhoades’ diocese has faced challenges in this area in recent years. The bishop last year spoke out against the all-female Catholic St. Mary’s College, accepting any students who “identify” as women. The college has since reversed the policy.
In the diocesan guidelines, Rhoades highlights the importance of “compassion and sensitivity” toward all those who struggle with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction.
The diocese expects all who work with young people to uphold Church teaching while affirming people’s “God-given dignity and worth, and to treat them with the love and compassion of Christ.”
“Ministers have a special responsibility to assist those who are hurting or struggling, including those dealing with confusion about their sexual identity or with same-sex attraction,” Rhoades writes. “Ministers must not tolerate any ridiculing, bullying, or hostile speech or behavior directed against them.”
The bishop provided guidance on pastoral accompaniment of those struggling with gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction.
“It is important, through listening, to gain an understanding of the needs, difficulties, and challenges experienced by the young people regarding their sexual identity or regarding their same-sex attraction,” Rhoades notes. “These are often complicated realities.”
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Rhoades notes that when talking to young people who may be distressed about this, it is important to “be attentive to their pain, to listen to their voicing of their pain with a compassionate ear and heart, to assure them that they are not alone in their suffering.”
“The dialogue and conversation should proceed according to the needs of each individual young person, their questions, and their personal struggles,” he writes.
Rhoades notes that in some cases, it may be helpful or necessary to provide referrals to mental health counselors or psychologists “who are faithful to authentic Catholic Christian anthropology.”
“It is also good to help them to bring their needs to God in prayer, to rest in his love, and to have recourse to the Lord’s grace and healing in the sacraments, especially reconciliation and the holy Eucharist,” Rhoades adds.
“It is a special challenge for us to educate and guide our young people according to the Church’s teachings on sexuality and chastity,” Rhoades notes. “It is important that we present these teachings as a path of love, a way to human flourishing, happiness, holiness, and true freedom.”
Kate Quiñones is a staff writer for Catholic News Agency and a fellow of the College Fix. She has been published by the Wall Street Journal, the Denver Catholic Register, and CatholicVote, and she graduated from Hillsdale College. She lives in Colorado with her husband.
(The REPORTER) — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10, regarding a proposed corridor improvement project on State Road 32 in Hamilton County.
The hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to interact with the project team, review the features of the proposed roundabout project, and provide official public comment. Project documents are available for review at improvetomove32.com.
The project area is between East Street in Westfield and River Road in Noblesville. The proposed project includes adding lanes to accommodate two lanes in each direction, removing all traffic signals within the project limits, and constructing roundabouts at the following intersections with SR 32:
- Carey Road/Grassy Branch Road
- Gunther Boulevard
- Shady Nook Road
- Moontown Road/Gray Road
- Pebble Brook Boulevard
- Hazel Dell Road/Little Chicago Road
- Mill Creek Road
The hearing will take place at Prairie Waters Event Center, 4180 Westfield Road, Westfield. Doors will open at 5 p.m. to allow the public to view displays and talk with the project team. A presentation will be given at 5:30 p.m., with a public comment session held directly after. INDOT is offering livestreams of all public meetings and hearings. You must register here in order to participate in the livestream. Livestream audience comments will only be accepted in written electronic form, not verbally. A recording of the livestream presentation will be posted on the project webpage and INDOT YouTube page after the hearing and will be available for at least 90 days.
All verbal statements recorded during the public hearing and all written comments submitted prior to, during and for a period of two weeks following the hearing date, will be evaluated, considered, and addressed in subsequent environmental documentation.
Written comments may be submitted within the comment period to Nick Batta, CMT, 8790 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or sent via email to SR32HamiltonCounty@cmtengr.com.
INDOT respectfully requests comments be submitted by June 26.
A beloved tradition is drawing stitchers, shoppers, and curious newcomers across the region.
If you have ever walked into a quilt shop “just to look,” you already know how that story ends. One minute you are admiring a cheerful stack of fabric with names like sunflower, buttercream, and cardinal red, and the next you are seriously considering whether your house has room for a new table runner, a holiday wall hanging, and perhaps a life-changing bundle of fat quarters. Quilt shops have that effect. They are part treasure hunt, part therapy session, part color explosion, and in Southeastern Indiana, they are also some of the friendliest gathering places around.
That is especially true during the ALL INDIANA SHOP HOP, the statewide sewing and quilting event running through June 30, 2026.
The idea is delightfully simple: visit participating quilt shops, collect passport stamps, pick up thank-you gifts, and become eligible for prizes. The official event even describes it as a quilting version of a bar crawl, only with less late-night regret and more batting, bobbins, and beautiful fabric. There is even a youth passport for ages 8 to 17, which is a nice reminder that quilting is not just a pastime handed down from grandparents. It is also being discovered by a new generation who like making things by hand, repurposing fabric to help the environment, learning skills online, and sharing their creations proudly.
And really, quilting has everything going for it. It is practical, creative, social, and just a little bit magical.
A quilt can be a baby gift, a comfort during a hard season, a graduation present, a family heirloom, or simply a way to make a couch look much more put together than the people sitting on it. Quilters are surgeons with rotary cutters, artists with thread, and storytellers with fabric. They notice pattern, texture, memory, and meaning. Even non-quilters tend to fall under the spell. You do not need to know how to piece a block to appreciate the patience, skill, and imagination it takes to turn small shapes into something that warms both the room and the people in it.
That is one reason local quilt shops matter so much.
Yes, they sell fabric, books, notions, patterns, batting, and tools that can make a beginner feel both excited and slightly underqualified. But they also do something online shopping cannot: they welcome people in. Good quilt shops are places where somebody will help you match prints, explain what on earth a layer cake is, admire your progress, and gently steer you away from a fabric choice you may regret in broad daylight. They are equal parts classroom, clubhouse, and creative headquarters.
Southeastern Indiana is lucky to have several shops that make a Shop Hop route feel less like an errand list and more like a mini road trip with excellent scenery and even better conversation.
In Versailles, The Quilter’s Nook has become a creative quilting and sewing destination with classes, learning opportunities, and plenty of supplies and inspiration for anyone wanting to sharpen their skills or finally start that project they have been thinking about for two years. In Greensburg, Tree City Stitches is known for its premium fabrics, project kits, classes, and welcoming atmosphere, with plenty of samples on display to spark ideas before you even make it to the cutting counter.
In Vevay, Cardinal Quilts offers a deep fabric selection, quilting classes, and longarm services, making it the kind of place where serious quilters can stock up and newcomers can get helpful guidance without a trace of intimidation. And in Madison, L&L Yard Goods has been operating in the same location since 1986, offering quilting essentials, classes, and the sort of steady hometown presence that makes people come back year after year.
Together, these shops help keep quilting visible, vibrant, and local.
They also provide handmade quilts for community projects, children’s hospitals, veterans, and emergency services just like the early quilters did centuries ago.
So if your summer plans could use a little more color, a little more small-town charm,
and maybe a little more excuse to buy fabric you absolutely do not need but definitely deserve, the Shop Hop is calling. Bring a friend, bring your passport, and bring a willingness to be delighted by places where craftsmanship still matters and people still make beautiful things with their hands.
In Southeastern Indiana, quilting is more than a hobby.
It is history from the days of early pioneers, hospitality that warms you, creativity and community all stitched together one square at a time.
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