The National Park Service (NPS) is facing legal action after denying the Knights of Columbus’ request to host their annual Memorial Day Mass in a Virginia national cemetery for the second consecutive year. Since the 1960s, the Knights have conducted the service at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg. However, according to legal groups First Liberty Institute and McGuireWoods LLP, the Knights’ permit request was turned down due to a policy amendment that limits “demonstrations,” including religious services, in cemeteries.
The two legal outfits filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and a temporary restraining order against NPS on May 21. They are working to secure the Knights’ rights to hold their Memorial Day Mass at the Cemetery as planned. The denial, they argue, is discriminatory and a breach of the First Amendment.
First Liberty had previously sent a letter to the Chief Park Ranger, requesting the rescinding of the permit denial. In response, the National Park Service issued a different permit, allowing the mass to be held outside the cemetery, a solution the Knights had not sought.
First Liberty Senior Counsel Roger Byron noted, “The National Park Service is way out of line.” The claim signifies a development in ongoing tension between religious rights and government limitations.