The University of Nebraska has issued an apology over a doctoral performance that imitated the Catholic Mass in a drag setting, more than a year after the incident prompted condemnation from Church authorities; the work, staged on April 12, 2025, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, formed part of a music doctorate and depicted core elements of the liturgy, including the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. University president Jeffrey Gold confirmed the apology following a meeting with James Conley, stating that new oversight measures are being introduced.

The performance, titled “Mass of Perpetual Indulgence”, was devised by doctoral student Michael Joseph Willette as a final recital project. According to accounts cited by *The College Fix*, it featured a drag performer replicating gestures and sequences associated with the Catholic Eucharistic liturgy, drawing on texts and structures central to the Mass.

In a statement issued after the performance became public, Bishop Conley of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln described the production as “disturbing and appalling”, calling it “a blatant public display of faith-based discrimination”. He added that the awarding of a doctorate for such a project “reflects poorly” on the university and wider community.

The title of the piece has also been noted for its similarity to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group whose events in the United States have drawn protests from Catholic organisations in recent years.

Following the controversy, President Gold met Bishop Conley and acknowledged shortcomings in the academic review process. According to the bishop’s subsequent account, Gold said the project “should have” been redirected and that faculty oversight had been insufficient. He added that “guardrails” have now been introduced and that the faculty adviser involved had been made “painfully aware” of the failure.

Conley, who had previously urged the university to take disciplinary action, reiterated that “such discrimination would not be tolerated if directed at other religions”, questioning why similar standards were not applied in this case. He had earlier called on university officials to ensure that institutions of higher education “do not tolerate or reward such inappropriate behaviour”.

The university has not publicly detailed the full scope of its internal review, but indicated that broader ethical guidelines for academic work are being strengthened. The incident has been cited in discussions about the limits of artistic expression in academic settings, particularly where religious symbols and liturgical forms are incorporated into performance-based research.