A priest in Ohio has been suspended by his church for attending the rally for former President Donald Trump that took place just before his supporters stormed the Capitol building earlier this month.
Archpriest Mark Hodges of St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Dayton told the Dayton Daily News that he has been “suspended from all priestly functions,” as of Jan. 12, a decision he said was “unjust.”
He added, “My beloved bishop had questioned the wisdom of a priest attending” Trump’s rally. “I think part of the problem is I viewed that Stop the Steal rally as expressing extreme concern over voter fraud allegations in the 2020 election.”
According to Hodges, he did not follow other rally attendees in breaching the Capitol building, and he does not condone the violence that occurred during the riot.
“All I wanted to do was yell, ‘Stop the Steal!’ outside where Congress was meeting,” Hodges told his friends in an email he provided to the Daily News.
Hodges said that the suspension was ordered directly by the head of the Diocese of the Midwest, Archbishop Paul Gassios, who oversees 21 parishes in the state. He also said that in three months Gassios can either extend the suspension, remove it, or revoke his priesthood.
A spokesperson for the diocese declined to comment to the Daily News.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.