On Friday, though, the college issued a statement accusing him not only of being gay, which it called contrary to traditional Catholic doctrine, but also of misrepresenting before he was hired that he was a member of an independent branch of Catholicism.
He denied both accusations Saturday, saying he never hid his sexuality or his affiliation with the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of the Americas from school officials.
The college recruited him, not the other way around, he said. In a meeting with officials, he recalled asking: "You know I'm not a Roman Catholic priest, right?"
They replied, "We have all denominations here. It's no problem," St. George said.
"Now they say, 'He fooled us,' " St. George said. " 'He calls himself Father St. George.' Well, I am a priest. I have always been Father Jim. From the day I was ordained, I have never made any secret of what church it was."
He said he had been validly ordained through the Old Catholic Apostolic Church, which some consider illicit because it has no ties with the Vatican. The branch allows its priests to be gay or straight, celibate or married, male or female.
"They are trying to say, 'He really isn't a priest because he belongs to this other church,' " St. George said. "It's all lies. There's no other word for me to use."
St. George said his homosexuality hadn't been specifically discussed before his hiring, although he has referred to it on his blog, "Venture of Faith."
"What am I supposed to do?" he said, "Say, 'Before we go any further, I'm gay'? Who says that?"
College officials could not be reached Saturday for comment. But a statement issued by the college president, Sister Carol Jean Vale, said:
