by Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
On Wednesday, First Liberty, Troutman Pepper Locke, and the Independence Law Center filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Collier Township is imposing unreasonable restrictions on the church and refuses to grant permits to construct a chapel.
Holy Trinity is part of a branch of the Catholic Church headquartered in Ukraine and worships according to traditions that arose millennia ago in Eastern Europe. Ukrainian Catholic refugees fled from communism in the 20th century, seeking to worship in peace according to their own customs and traditions. They found respite in Collier Township, and eventually the refugees acquired a 41-acre parcel of land which they transformed into a cemetery.
When the church was ready to construct a chapel on that property with related facilities for prayer and worship, their plans were thwarted when the Township refused most of the plans the church proposed. The Township added unlawful restrictions such as limiting how long and when church bells could ring, for whom memorial services could be held, and the size and height of buildings.
Despite the restrictions imposed on the church, less than a mile up the road, the local carpenters union maintains a 19-acre campus that includes classrooms, conference rooms, offices, a cafeteria, an event space, and a meeting room with seating for 400 people.
What’s more, the township zoning code allows secular establishments such as amusement parks, ice rinks, fitness centers, and country clubs to operate in the same zoning district, while not allowing the same for houses of worship.
“The Township has shown clear discrimination in applying strict limitations on the church but giving free rein to comparable secular activities and neighboring organizations,” said Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty. “Religious freedom means precious little if religious organizations cannot use their property for religious purposes.”
“It’s shameful when a local government puts a stranglehold on a church whose Free Exercise rights are protected by the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,” said Joshua D. Davey of Troutman Pepper Locke. “It is unlawful for Collier Township to prohibit the church from conducting its religious traditions when the law clearly protects it.”
“It is a bitter irony that a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish, part of a historic faith tradition that suffered brutal repression under the Soviet Union, is now facing government hostility here in the United States,” said Randall L. Wenger, Chief Counsel at Independence Law Center. “When officials restrict religious exercise without a compelling government interest, they endanger constitutional rights that protect all Americans.”
Like countless churches across America, Holy Trinity simply wants to live out its faith and use its facilities and property to better serve the needs of congregants and the community. But local officials have opted to single out the church and keep it from fulfilling its divinely inspired calling.
That’s not only wrong—it’s illegal. The First Amendment and federal law protect the right of churches to operate free from unreasonable and intrusive government interference. That includes a church’s right to use its facilities for religious purposes. Cities and government officials are also required by law to treat houses of worship fairly and equally to businesses or other religious organizations.
Houses of worship should not be subject to such discrimination. Holy Trinity is counting on your support. By winning for this church, you’re also going to help protect religious freedom for every American, including YOU. When one church wins, ALL Americans win.
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