"Oddo completed his novitiate, wrote a doctoral dissertation, and entered the priesthood in the wake of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, often known as Vatican II, which met between 1962 and 1965. Vatican II ushered in dramatic, liberal changes to the Catholic Church, including allowing Masses to be said in vernacular languages instead of Latin and embracing ecumenism, or dialog with other Christian faiths."
"Oddo, whom Bieber refers to as "Tom" throughout the book, was a gay man. It was an identity he quietly lived, but it played an enormous role in his ministry as a priest. Early in his priesthood, working in Boston, he ministered and heard the confessions of LGBTQ Catholics who felt that there was no place for them in the Church."
"He became the first national secretary for DignityUSA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the inclusion of gay, queer, and transgender people in the Catholic Church. As secretary, Oddo was responsible for developing chapters, increasing membership, and communications. He was instrumental in transforming DignityUSA into a national organization: More than 15,000 people joined the organization during his tenure."
Thomas Oddo served as the 17th president of the University of Portland from 1982 to 1989, becoming the institution's youngest president at age 38. He completed his novitiate, doctoral dissertation, and entered the priesthood after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Oddo lived as a gay man and centered ministry on LGBTQ Catholics, ministering and hearing confessions in Boston. He became the first national secretary of DignityUSA, building chapters, expanding membership to more than 15,000, and managing communications. He published essays and engaged in activism that influenced progressive Catholic thought and early gay-rights movements.
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