We know what it feels like to be watched, measured, and molded by systems that claim to care for your soul while controlling your body, choices, and identity. We’ve lived under these pressures where gender, sexuality, and conscience are policed; where relationships are monitored; where obedience is valorized over discernment. For us, this series is personal: we survived these environments, and our motivation to share comes from a desire to help others recognize the patterns that trap people for years, even generations.
When we began this series, we thought we were going to write about five essays or so on a few topics related to High Control Catholicism. What emerged instead is a deep dive into the ways these patterns of control manifest across institutions: separatist towns like St. Marys, Kansas; charismatic covenant communities; conservative Catholic media groups like Church Millitant; institutions with vast political power like Opus Dei; and educational facilities like Franciscan University. In each case, we saw the same mechanisms at work: concentrated authority, ideological conformity, and the protection of those in power at the expense of the vulnerable.
In isolated towns and insular covenant networks, gender roles and sexual behavior were policed to enforce obedience, with purity culture, conversion therapy, and gender essentialism in particular used as tools of control against cis-het and queer members alike. We explored some of these dynamics more deeply in our Catholic Masculinity Series, which examined how rigid expectations of male behavior operate within conservative Catholic contexts and throughout modern politics.
At scale, larger institutions like Opus Dei and Franciscan University amplify these pressures, leveraging their wealth, networks of members spread throughout society, and rigid authority to suppress accountability. Franciscan University (where Max attended undergraduate studies) reveals the full scope of high-control Catholicism: abuse covered up, behavior monitored, relationships regulated, and ideology enforced through structures built over decades. The patterns are pervasive, shaping generations of conservative Catholics in parishes, media, and political life.
Our goal is not just to document these systems, but to make them visible so others can see them coming. Survivors deserve to recognize the mechanisms before they are trapped, to reclaim agency, and to confront these abuses without shame or fear. This work is deeply personal because it reflects our own survival and our hope to prevent further harm.
Though this series formally ends here, the work continues. We are planning a longer, book-length exploration of High Control Catholicism, where we hope to unpack these systems even further.
For those who want to continue exploring now, we’ve compiled all of our essays, lived experience reflections, and podcast episodes. Each piece can stand alone, but together they reveal the breadth and interconnections of high-control Catholic networks. We encourage readers to investigate, reflect, and continue to share their own experiences. This is not just our story: it is a conversation for anyone seeking to understand, survive, and resist high-control systems.
Deep-dives into High Control Catholicism:
1. Introducing the “High Control Catholicism” Series, July 4
This essay introduces the series on High Control Catholicism, contrasting the warmth and justice-oriented traditions many associate with Catholicism against the rigid, patriarchal, and nationalist forms that harm marginalized communities. It explores how fundamentalist Catholic groups leverage fear, medieval fantasies, and political alliances to maintain control, often at odds with official Church teaching.
2. Out of Time: Catholic Separatism in St. Marys, Kansas, July 11
The town of St. Marys, Kansas, highlights the ways traditionalist Catholic enclaves prioritize separation, hierarchy, and militant symbolism, reflecting a broader trend of control and exclusion in reactionary Catholic movements. St. Marys, dominated by the Society of St. Pius X, rejects Vatican II reforms and mainstream Church authority while reshaping daily life around rigid pre-Vatican II traditions. By situating the town within a wider network of High Control Catholic communities, the essay shows how the search for purity and order can foster belonging for some while promoting exclusion, authoritarianism, and political extremism.
3. The Firebrand of Catholic Media: Michael Voris and Church Militant, July 18
Michael Voris and Church Militant brought the fire-and-brimstone style of Protestant fundamentalism into the Catholic sphere, using sensationalism, moral panic, and attacks on LGBTQ people to build a far-right media empire. Voris’s personal history, including his struggles with his own sexuality and his reversion to conservative Catholicism, shaped the extreme rhetoric and culture of shame that defined the organization. Even after Voris’s departure and Church Militant’s closure, the ideology he amplified—fear, scapegoating, and a vision of a Church under siege—continues to influence conservative Catholic media and communities.
4. Inside the High-Control World of Purity Culture, July 25
This essay traces how American Catholic promotion of Natural Family Planning (NFP) reflects broader patterns of purity culture, connecting contemporary campaigns like NFP Awareness Week to historical movements that have policed sexuality, gender, and reproduction. It situates this within a longer history of high-control religion, eugenics, and anti-queer legislation, showing how these systems prioritize cultural conformity over care for marginalized communities. By highlighting queer and trans experiences, the piece exposes the enduring harm of these moral regimes and underscores the need for a Catholic ethic centered on justice, inclusion, and embodied love rather than control.
5. How the Open Window of Vatican II Led to the Stale Air of Covenant Communities, July 30
Covenant communities arose in the post–Vatican II era, blending charismatic renewal with tightly structured, rule-bound communal life that demanded obedience and total commitment. While these groups promised spiritual vitality and lay engagement, they often fostered high-control environments marked by rigid gender roles, secrecy, and abuse of authority, as seen in communities like Lamb of God, People of Hope, and Servants of Christ. Examining these histories—through survivor testimony and scholarly analysis—reveals the ongoing tension between genuine spiritual renewal and institutional control, highlighting the need for accountability, transparency, and inclusive participation in faith communities.
6. Conversion Therapy Is Having a Moment (Just Not By That Name), August 8
Conversion therapy in the U.S. is not a relic of the past but has adapted into new forms, including “biblical counseling” and the DeTrans Movement, all aimed at erasing queer and trans identities under the guise of care. Rooted in both religious and pseudo-scientific frameworks, these practices have historically been supported by Catholic and other Christian institutions, causing profound psychological, social, and physical harm. Highlighting survivor testimony and scholarly research, the essay shows that exposing these coercive systems is essential for accountability, resisting ongoing abuses, and protecting LGBTQ+ lives.
7. Two Errors Catholics Make About Gender, August 15
This essay is an unconventional entry in the High Control Catholicism series because it shifts from institutional critique to examining the intersection of Catholic transphobia and broader cultural ideologies like TERFism. By highlighting two persistent errors—treating gender as an ideology and weaponizing regret narratives—the essay shows how both Catholic authorities and self-proclaimed feminist gatekeepers erase and control trans lives. Ultimately, it argues that these high-control systems rely on exclusionary hierarchies disguised as care or protection, and the antidote is engaging with people rather than policing beliefs.
8. Opus Dei: The Institution within the Institution, August 22
Opus Dei is one of the most well-known examples of high-control Catholicism, operating as an institution within the institution with a personal prelature, rigid hierarchy, and gendered divisions that enforce obedience and suppress autonomy. Its recruitment targets socially isolated or privileged young people, drawing them into highly structured lives where financial, social, and spiritual control are systemic. While outwardly respected and influential worldwide, Opus Dei’s internal practices—including coercion, unpaid labor, and psychological manipulation—reveal the ethical and legal concerns inherent in high-control religious organizations.
9. A Hill to Die On: Franciscan University and America’s Culture Wars, August 29
This piece uncovers how Fr. Michael Scanlan masterminded the transformation of Franciscan University into a high-control, ideologically regimented campus, crafting structures that centralized authority, enforced obedience, and extended his influence into students’ spiritual, academic, and social lives. While Jenn Morson and others have reported on the abuse and cover-ups that occurred under Scanlan, the broader story of how he built and maintained the university as a powerhouse of conservative Catholic influence has largely gone untold. In this essay, we trace both the personal and institutional mechanisms of control, showing how Franciscan’s ascent was inseparable from Scanlan’s charisma, networks, and strategic vision.
10. True Crime in the Catholic Church, Jan 5
In an essay written before the launch of the High Control Catholicism series, Max reflects on his experiences in high-control Catholic environments like Franciscan University and Opus Dei, where rigid gender roles and authority suppressed individuality and LGBTQ identities. He highlights how these systems use control and secrecy to enable abuse and protect perpetrators. Max emphasizes that reclaiming his LGBTQ identity and personal freedom while challenging extreme fundamentalism in the Church.
Lived Experiences of High Control Catholicism:
Your stories are important, and we want them to be part of this project! We’re building an ongoing, collaborative effort to collect and share the lived experiences of people who have encountered high-control Catholicism. You can contribute by sharing with us personally on social media or Substack, or by publishing your experiences—anonymously if you prefer—so that together we can document, illuminate, and understand these patterns.
Lived Experiences: Joan and Grace, July 10 (St. Marys, Kansas)
Lived Experiences: Greg, July 18 (Michael Voris)
Lived Experience: Lamb of God, July 29
Girls and Their Ghosts, August 1 (Lamb of God covenant community)
Lived Experience: Theo, August 7 (Conversion Therapy)
Lived Experience: Opus Dei, August 25
High Control Catholicism Series Podcast Episodes
1. What is High Control Catholicism?, July 14
A general overview of how we define High Control Catholicism.
2. Investigating Far-Right Catholic Media with Heidi Schlumpf, July 21
We speak with a long-time reporter in the Catholic media landscape.
3. Growing Up in the Lamb of God Covenant Community - with Audrey Clare Farley, July 28
We hear first hand from author and covenant community survivor, Audrey Clare Farley.
4. Debunking Catholic Claims About Queer People, August 4
We speak with Theo, who grew up Catholic and after deconstruction, created a podcast to help others understand and respond to Catholic claims about the LGBTQ community.
5. Life After Conversion Therapy, August 11
We speak with Dr. Lucas Wilson, author of Shame-Sex Attraction, to understand more about the non-denominational explosion of conversion therapy and how it still exists today–just under a different name.
6. Opus Dei Explained with Gareth Gore, August 18
Gareth Gore is a financial reporter who uncovered much of the Opus Dei high control network. His book is a vital resource and this conversation is a must-listen.
7. Investigating Steubenville with Jenn Morson, September 1
No deep dive on Franciscan University is complete without talking to Jenn Morson, who couldn’t find a reporter to talk about the abuse at Franciscan so wrote the piece herself and in many ways started a movement of calling out the school.
Conclusion
This is not the end of our journey exploring high-control Catholicism (spoiler: we’re working on a book!). We warmly invite you to continue sharing your lived experiences with us, whether short or long, whether anonymous or named, about high-control Catholicism. We will keep investigating and documenting these movements, communities, and practices, including the ways transphobia manifests both inside and outside the Church, in our ongoing research and writing.
As we close this series, we want to acknowledge that much of this material is difficult and upsetting. While we provide content warnings at the start of each essay or podcast, we recognize that isn’t always enough. That’s why we’ve included resources below to help you process these topics safely. Every story of harm we document is included intentionally: to show how high-control Catholic institutions and organizations often place wealth and influence above the wellbeing of their members.
Recommended Reading
LGBTQ Catholic identity and history
A Prince of a Boy, by Brian McNaught
In the Margins: A Transgender Man’s Journey with Scripture, by Shannon T.L. Kearns
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, by Sonora Reyes
Why I Remain a Gay Catholic, by Paul F. Morrisy
Abuse and accountability
#ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing, By Emily Joy Allison
Beyond Shame: Creating a Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms, by Matthias Roberts
Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church by Gareth Gore
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth, by Beth Allison Barr
Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence, by Sara Moslener
High control religion
Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions, by Cami Ostman
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, by Amanda Montell
When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion, by Laura E. Anderson, PhD
Cults Like Us by Jane Borden
Religious trauma and healing
Passionate and Pious: Religious Media and Black Women’s Sexuality, by Monique Moultrie
Shameless: A Case for Not Feeling Bad About Feeling Good (About Sex), by Nadia Bolz-Weber
The Politics of Trauma, by Stacy K. Haines
Religious Trauma Resources
Inclusive Therapists, directory for therapists who are BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+
Reclamation Collective, organization hosting virtual support groups for religious trauma survivors
The Liberated Porch, a Substack publication run by Kit Morgan, LCSW
The Religious Trauma Collective, a safe space for folx in Australia and New Zealand
Crisis and long-term resources can be found listed in our recap essay after our episode with psychotherapist Teresa Thompson.
Recommended Podcasts
Disordered: Responding to Catholic Teachings, a podcast exploring gender, sexuality, and LGBTQ+ identity
High Control, a podcast about identifying, leaving, and recovering from high control groups hosted by Ally Henny and Scot Loyd
Queer Theology, a podcast for and by LGBTQ queer people of faith hosted by Fr. Shannon Kearns and Brian G. Murphy
Lapsed, a podcast about unpacking growing up Catholic hosted by Anne McNamee-Keels
Shadow of Hope: Life Inside a Catholic Covenant Community, a podcast about People of Hope, a covenant community in New Jersey
Sunday School Dropouts, a podcast hosted by trained therapists Dr. Laura Anderson and Andrew Herbs about high control religion
Pure White with Dr. Sara Moslener, a podcast about the White supremacist origins of evangelical purity culture
Documentary Films and Docu-Dramas
How I Left the Opus Dei. (documentary). “Thirteen brave women share stories of the psychological, emotional and economic abuse they suffered under the controversial religious group Opus Dei.”
Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God (documentary). “A four-part docuseries chronicling the decades of abuse and deceit by Father Marcial Maciel, the infamous leader of the Legionaries of Christ.”
Mrs. America. (docu-drama, with Schlafly played by Cate Blanchett). “Mrs. America tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, aka “the sweetheart of the silent majority.””
Pray Away (documentary). “Ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called ‘conversion therapy’ movement speak out about its harm to the LGBTQ+ community and its devastating persistence.”
Purity Movie (documentary): “A documentary about purity culture for those recovering from it. … This non-linear documentary experience consists of a growing constellation of weekly bite-sized interviews re-contextualizing the movement that once captured the hearts (and chastity) of millions of teenagers.”
Upcoming from the Maxwell Kuzma Substack
Looking forward, in October, we will share a series (including both written content and podcast episodes) about LGBTQ+ Catholic history. We can’t wait to share histories of queer and trans Catholic saints, queer Catholic ministry and activism, and queer Catholic, Christian, and secular ancestors who have led the way for liberation inside and outside the Church. In anticipation, we recommend reading the following books, all of which we have written about before:
Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe, by John Boswell
Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography, by Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt
Visions of Queer Martyrdom from John Henry Newman to Derek jarman, by Dominic Janes
In the interim, we will still be sharing podcast episodes finishing off the high control series. We will continue sharing recap essays for these episodes, offering the content in different formats for accessibility.
We will also be shifting our focus to writing a book focused on high control Catholicism, so we will be sharing sporadic Friday essays throughout the month focused on other topics, including an upcoming entry on queer Catholic theologians to read and follow.
Great resource! Thank you, Max and Emma! Can't wait for the book!
Would you ever consider writing about Thomas More College, Wyoming Catholic College, John Paul the Great College, Thomas Aquinas College, Christendom College, University of Dallas or Ave Maria? Ironically, I think the institutions you have covered (Opus Dei, Franciscan) are actually relatively "liberal" when considering the landscape of higher education in the US?