St. Paul church fights order to pay member's child support

The divorce was final two decades ago. The ex-wife long ago moved away. The children all are grown.

But Christ's Household of Faith, a religious community based in St. Paul whose members relinquish most personal possessions and income, is still fighting the court order to pay alimony and child support.

Facing a $234,945 judgment, the community has moved its fight to federal court. It is suing Ramsey County and asking the court to block the judgment -- for which the meter keeps running. Paying it violates the community's religious and other constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, its lawyer says.

"We firmly believe the federal court will see the merits of what is happening here and grant us all the relief that we are seeking," said Steven Aggergaard, an attorney for the community.

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner would not comment, citing ongoing litigation. But the county is asking that the case be dismissed, arguing that CHOF is wrongly trying to bypass state courts.

Aggergaard acknowledges that the road in state court has been difficult. Ramsey County and appeals court decisions have repeatedly gone against CHOF. Twice, the state Supreme Court has declined to review the case. Once, the community asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review it and were denied.

But the case belongs in federal court, Aggergaard said, because the arguments have to do with basic freedoms. "Their belief is they are religiously compelled to do what they do," he said.

At the heart of the case, according to the complaint, is that Christ's Household of Faith should not be forced to assign a monetary value to the work of one of its members -- and it shouldn't have to pay money to someone else who has rejected the community's "sincerely held religious beliefs."

Christ's Household of Faith began in Mora, Minn., in 1967. In 1970, community members decided to sell all their personal possessions and moved into communal properties. In 1972, after a fire, the community gradually began to relocate to St. Paul where, in 1976, it purchased a former Catholic girls school as home for its church, school and many of its members.

The community has about 270 adults and 215 children who live in the former St. Joseph's Academy building, as well as in dozens of homes throughout St. Paul's Summit-University neighborhood. The community's school is active in athletics and academic competitions, with Christ's Household of Faith students winning numerous awards.

To support itself financially, CHOF operates several businesses, including North Star Services, a kitchen design and renovation company. But no member receives a salary. All money goes into a community treasury and members receive a stipend for basic items such as food, toiletries and clothing.

Divorce dates to 1987

In 1988, a Ramsey County judge ordered Michael Rooney to pay $600.52 a month in child support and $250 a month in "spousal maintenance." The order was based on an estimated value of Michael Rooney's work for the community of $24,000 a year. In 1990, a Ramsey County court administrator directed CHOF to make those payments to the Ramsey County Department of Community Services on behalf of Rooney as the "payer of funds."

"It was and at all times has been contrary to the fundamental beliefs of Christ's Household of Faith that a member's 'services' can somehow be ascribed 'value' through any employer-employee relationship," according to the complaint.

While CHOF made some child support payments over the years "out of love and devotion" for Michael Rooney, it has refused to pay most of what the courts ordered -- despite a ruling from the state Court of Appeals that it was indeed responsible for making the payments. The amount in arrears continued to accumulate.

On Sept. 29, the Ramsey County District Court ruled that judgment be entered in favor of Patricia Rooney and against Christ's Household of Faith. On Oct. 10, the community filed the federal lawsuit.

Patricia Rooney did not return a call seeking comment. A hearing on Ramsey County's motion to dismiss the case is scheduled for Jan. 23 before U.S. Chief Judge Michael Davis.