This week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, Inc. v. Frederic, a religious liberty case out of Northern KY. Our friends at First Liberty are representing a Catholic institution that is seeking to build a small structure for prayer and reflection on its property.
The institution sought an exemption to local zoning rules, and the zoning board granted the exemption. However, local residents sued to block this exemption. While the lower court ruled in favor of Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, the appeals court and the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled against the institution, blocking the building of the prayer structure. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether that decision was proper or whether federal law requires a zoning exemption in favor of a religious purpose.
In response to the Supreme Court taking this case, First Liberty CEO Kelly Shackelford said, “Telling a church it can’t build a modest place for prayer and reflection on its own property is outrageous. Federal law provides clear protections for how faith-based organizations can use their property to support their mission. This is an important case for religious freedom.”
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed an amicus brief in support of Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist at the both the Kentucky Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. In a press release, Attorney General Coleman stated, “We’re taking Kentucky’s fight for religious liberty all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. For the faithful at Our Lady of Lourdes and for every American, this fundamental freedom must be protected.”
The Family Foundation is thankful for the efforts of those defending religious liberty in this important case. This case also serves as a reminder that the Kentucky General Assembly must strengthen its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) next session to ensure religious liberty is properly and adequately protected in the Commonwealth.