Friday, March 20, 2026

Cert. Petition Filed in RLUIPA Zoning Case

 A petition for certiorari (full text) was filed yesterday seeking U.S. Supreme Court review in Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, Inc. v. Frederic. In the case, the Kentucky Supreme Court held that RLUIPA was not violated by denying a conditional use permit to a church that wished to build a grotto in Park Hills, Kentucky to honor the Virgin Mary’s appearance at a grotto in Lourdes, France. The Kentucky Supreme Court concluded that denial of a permit and variances did not impose a substantial burden on the church's religious exercise. (See prior posting.) First Liberty issued a press release announcing the filing of the petition for review.