I have received several E-mails informing me of the sale of my old desk and office chair, from my days at St. Paul’s Newman Center in Fresno, on E-bay. I just want to clarify that I am not selling these items, nor was I consulted/informed about the sale of these items. Furthermore, none of the proceeds from the sale of these items will go to me.
The ad on E-bay states that the proceeds will go to an unspecified charity. As far as I know, the desk and chair are the property of Saint Paul’s Newman Center in Fresno and, of course, ultimately of the Diocese of Fresno. If this were still the case then the sale of the desk and chair would have to be authorized by Deacon John Supino, the current administrator of St. Paul’s. In that case, I would deduce that the charity in question would be St. Paul’s; however, that information was not specifically stated in the E-bay ad.
All of this seems rather ironic, since the Diocese actively worked for the passage of Prop 8, which stripped same sex couples of marriage equality in California. The fact that they would now refer to the desk as the “historic Prop 8 desk of Father Geoff Farrow” seems disingenuous. I do not want someone to purchase these items under the mistaken belief that their funds will contribute to the ongoing struggle for full marriage equality.
I would suggest that anyone seriously interested in purchasing this desk/chair contact Deacon John Supino at St. Paul’s Newman Center in Fresno, CA. and ask him what the “charity” is which will benefit from the sale of these items.
I want to state again very clearly that I am not selling these items and that I in no way will personally profit from the sale of these items. I did not authorize this sale and I was not informed of the sale. Even though my personal financial situation is very difficult, in fact I am facing bankruptcy. I have tried very hard to avoid any commercial self-interest in my work to promote full marriage equality and LGBT rights.
View the auction here

5 comments:
I think it is totally & utterly disgusting that someone is trying to profit from your name & beliefs only to most likely use those funds against you and what you/we believe.
Your desire for the truth continue to inspire me. You continue to be a beacon of light in the darkness that is injustice.
Bless you Father Geoff
The listing sounds dubious. For one thing, eBay has standards which sellers must follow in listing items "for charity". Such items have to go through MissionFish, an independent company that verifies that the money goes to a certified charity. You can't just say "proceeds to charity". This is spelled out on eBay's website for sellers:
http://www.ebaygivingworks.com/help-abouttheprogram.html
If eBay administrators see this listing they will probably cancel it.
Have to vent: I was watching EWTN last night, I know Fr. Geoff what you're going to say, "first mistake!' They were discussing the "truth's" about the homosexual lifestyle. They spoke about the high percent of diseases, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse. Now, my theory is that if you are going to take a small fraction and claim it as total truth, you are NOT telling the truth! Amazing!
It's good to see that the seller has let bidders know that you are not selling this desk. It still seems rather strange that something that belongs to the diocese is up for sale on eBay.
Thanks you Fr. Geoff for continuing to stand up for equality and truth.
Jackie
The listing has changed - it now makes the point that Father Geoff is the ONLY person who used the desk. It also specifically says:
"In order to comply with E-bay's listing policy the statement regarding proceeds being donated has been removed."
Does this mean the money is NOT going to charity???
Oh, and also there are no bids yet.
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