Pastor celebrates removal of 'Rocky Horror' photos featuring scantily clad students on church steps

The pastor of a Catholic parish in Kentucky is celebrating that “inappropriate” photos of college students posing “in various stages of undress” and taken without permission on the church steps to promote a student-led production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” have been taken down.

The Rev. Ross Kelsch, pastor of Saint Thomas Parish in Fort Thomas, thanked Northern Kentucky University President Cady Short-Thompson in an Oct. 31 social media statement for responding to the church’s concerns about the photographs.

Kelsch said he appreciated the opportunity to speak with Short-Thompson personally and was grateful for her willingness to address the situation. He added that the photographs had been removed from websites and social media platforms.

“While the situation was disappointing, I am thankful for the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect with which it was resolved,” he said. “Moments like these remind us of the importance of open communication, understanding, and working together as neighbors in our community.”

Northern Kentucky University and the Saint Thomas Parish did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment. This article will be updated if we receive a response.

The controversy began after students posed for photos on the steps of Saint Thomas Parish. 

In an Oct. 30 statement, Kelsch said NKU students took the photos without the church’s knowledge or permission. “We are disappointed by the inappropriate nature of these photographs and the decision to use our church as their backdrop,” Kelsch wrote. “Saint Thomas is a sacred place of worship, and we expect our church and its grounds to be treated with dignity and respect.”

The photos were intended to promote the annual student-led production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in affiliation with the Henry Konstantinow Theatre, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 1975 cult classic film stars Tim Curry.

The film features mature and sexual content, and one of the movie’s musical numbers is a song titled “Sweet Transvestite,” which is sung by Curry’s character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. In the song, Frank-N-Furter introduces himself as a transvestite from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.