Virginia Catholics are calling on Gov. Ralph Northam to rescind his appointment of a Democratic activist who has mocked Catholics in tweets.

The Catholic League on Monday called Gail Gordon Donegan a “vicious anti-Catholic bigot.”

“Ms. Gordon Donegan has a record of ridiculing Catholic beliefs and practices and trafficking in stereotypes that would disqualify her from this role had they targeted any other category of persons,” said a spokesperson for the Arlington diocese.

The Virginia Catholic Conference, which represents the interests of the bishops of Richmond and Arlington, created on its website a template for emailing complaints to Mr. Northam: “As a Catholic, I am deeply offended by statements made by Gail Gordon Donegan that ridicule Catholics.”

Mr. Northam nominated Ms. Donegan, an Alexandria Democratic fundraiser, to the Virginia Council on Women, an 18-member board that awards scholarships and conducts studies on the health care and education of women.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported last week that Ms. Donegan’s obscenity-laced public posts date back several years.

On March 9, 2011, Ms. Gordon Donegan tweeted: “Go tell a Catholic they have dirt on their forehead. #waystooffend,” an apparent reference to the Ash Wednesday.

In 2010, she tweeted: “Abortion is morally indefensible to Catholic priests bcuz it results in fewer children to rape.”

A spokeswoman for the governor said Mr. Northam “does not condone this language.”

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