Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of breaking her chastity vows by having an online love affair with Father Philip Johnson, a former priest from the diocese in Raleigh, N.C.
A Texas monastery has ceased to exist in the eyes of the Vatican, according to a statement from the Bishop of Fort Worth on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The announcement comes following a nearly year-long battle between the nuns and Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson.
Nun Accused of Having an Online Affair with Former Priest
The disagreement surfaced in April 2023 after Olson accused their Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of breaking her chastity vows by having an online love affair with Father Philip Johnson, a former priest from the diocese in Raleigh, N.C., according to Chron.
As a result, Gerlach, Olson and the Arlington order were involved in legal and religious controversies. Then, in May 2023, Gerlach and the Diocese of Fort Worth’s six acting nuns and two in training sued the church and its bishop for $1 million. They alleged violations of privacy and harm to the nuns’ physical and emotional well-being.
Gerlach Confessed to the Chastity Violation, Nuns Claimed She was ‘Under Heavy Medication’
The next month, Olson dismissed Gerlach from religious life, and Gerlach confessed to chastity violation, which she said occurred twice and on the phone.
