Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Kentucky Shrine Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a dispute over whether a Kentucky church can build a shrine to the Virgin Mary on an adjacent residential lot. Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist argues that local zoning restrictions and the Kentucky Supreme Court’s ruling misread the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which limits regulations that substantially burden religious exercise. The church had received a conditional-use permit from the local zoning board, but neighbors challenged it over traffic and parking concerns, and state appellate courts ruled against the project. The Kentucky Supreme Court said the church could build a smaller shrine on its existing property and noted that it knew of the zoning restriction before seeking the permit. The neighbors oppose Supreme Court review, while the church says the case would clarify how RLUIPA applies to land-use disputes.