In April, Coleman led a 20-state coalition urging the justices to hear the case and clear the way for Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Park Hills, in Kenton County, to build the shrine.
Kentucky Today reports that the coalition’s brief asked the court to clarify the rights of religious organizations under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The federal law is intended to prevent governments from imposing substantial burdens on religious organizations through zoning laws.
The nonprofit corporate board of the former Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, Inc., owns the property. Park Hills approved plans in 2021 for a modest shrine offering a quiet place for meditation and worship before and after church services.
Neighbors opposed to the shrine sued to stop the project. The Kentucky Supreme Court eventually blocked construction, despite Coleman’s objections.
“We’re taking Kentucky’s fight for religious liberty all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Coleman said. “For the faithful at Our Lady of Lourdes and for every American, this fundamental freedom must be protected.”
Kentucky Solicitor General Matt Kuhn, Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jack Heyburn and Deputy Solicitor General Jacob Abrahamson filed the brief on behalf of the states.
(AP file photo)
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