A local Knights of Columbus council will once again be able to hold its Memorial Day Mass at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia, after an about-face by the National Park Service.
The First Liberty Institute said Thursday that the Petersburg National Battlefield has granted a permit for the Knights of Columbus Council 694 to hold its annual service, a tradition that dates back at least 60 years, after previously rejecting the group’s request.
“We are grateful to the NPS for allowing the Knights to hold their service this Memorial Day,” said John Moran, partner at McGuireWoods LLP in Washington, D.C., who represented the local council.
The reversal was announced just hours after Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief in support of the Catholic fraternal organization’s lawsuit against the agency, calling the permit denial shameful.
“It’s shameful that the federal government is denying this small group the opportunity to gather to pray for and mourn the loss of military personnel who died while serving our nation,” said Mr. Miyares, a Republican. “I demand that this Catholic group be welcomed at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery this Memorial Day.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also weighed in, saying on X that “Virginia is the birthplace of religious liberty and I applaud our AG @JasonMiyaresVA standing side by side with the @KofC to protect this important and worthy tradition.”
Virginia is the birthplace of religious liberty and I applaud our AG @JasonMiyaresVA standing side by side with the @KofC to protect this important and worthy tradition. https://t.co/dxpKKvNGvp
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) May 23, 2024
The council sued Tuesday in federal court after being denied a permit for the second year in a row, a decision that First Liberty attributed to a 2022 policy update designating “religious services” as “demonstrations” prohibited at national cemeteries.
Alexa Viets, Petersburg National Battlefield superintendent, said the council was offered a location “immediately adjacent to the cemetery” instead of inside the cemetery grounds, where the Knights have traditionally held their mass.
First Liberty said the lawsuit was dismissed after the permit was granted.
“The Knights are thrilled that they will be able to exercise their religious beliefs and keep this honorable tradition alive,” said Roger Byron, First Liberty senior counsel. “We appreciate the tremendous support of Gov. Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares in this case.”
The National Park Service declined a request for comment from The Washington Times.
Holding Memorial Day services at national cemeteries is a long-standing tradition of the Knights of Columbus, a nearly 150-year-old organization with more than 2 million members and 60,000 councils worldwide.
Another Knights of Columbus council is holding its annual Memorial Day Mass at the Andersonville National Cemetery in Andersonville, Georgia, an event being promoted by the NPS on its website.
Memorial Day, held to honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving their country, is observed as an federal holiday on the last Monday in May, which this year is the 27th.
