PETERSBURG, Va. -- As Memorial Day services were held across the country as a tribute to those who died protecting our freedom, The Knights of Columbus in Petersburg held a service of their own at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery. It was a ceremony the group didn’t think they’d be able to hold on cemetery grounds until late last week when they were issued a permit that has been denied over the past two years.
While the group has held a Catholic mass each year on Memorial Day since the 1960s, the National Park Service implemented a rule in 2022 that denies religious services on park grounds.
Last year, The Knights of Columbus 694, a Catholic fraternal organization dedicated to charity and patriotism, had to hold its annual Memorial Day service outside the park’s gates.
This year, the First Liberty Institute and the national law firm of McGuire Woods stepped in to file a motion for a temporary restraining order against the National Park Service.
Virginia’s governor and attorney general also stepped in.
Watch the Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony
“We certainly want to thank Attorney General Jason Miyares for filing the Amicus Brief in our support. We also want to thank Governor Youngkin for his public support of Knights of Columbus,” said First Liberty attorney Roger Byron.
Byron, senior counsel at First Liberty, says the group’s permit denial was a violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Byron says the lawsuit was dropped when the National Park Service agreed, on the eve of a court hearing last week, to grant a permit.
“It is our understanding that the Knights of Columbus will never again be prohibited from holding a Memorial Day Service in Poplar Grove National Cemetery,” Byron said.
According to The National Park Service, religious services are categorized as demonstrations and therefore against federal policies.
The Knights of Columbus say they are grateful for the support they’ve received and are looking forward to a continued good relationship with the National Park Service.
They hope their Memorial Day services will continue for years to come.
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