More than 3,000 people have signed a petition urging the owners of a bar-turned-chapel at a Maryland Marriott hotel to refrain from serving alcohol from the former high altar.
Catholics are asking the Wye Oak Tavern at the recently opened luxury boutique Visitation Hotel in Frederick, Maryland, to restore the dignity of the church. The restaurant has a bar around the former high altar, which is surrounded by large stained-glass windows and statues of kneeling angels.
The restaurant, which opened on December 19, is located in the former church of the Visitation Convent and Academy, a Catholic girls' school founded in 1846. It closed in June 2016 due to low enrollment and was then purchased. In 2017 and opening as a hotel in 2024.
Elissa Koren, an attorney, mother of five, and graduate of the Visitation Academy Class of 2000, launched the petition on December 15. change.org, The owners of the Visitation Hotel are being asked to “restore the dignity of the church by moving the pub”.
Wye Oak Pub. (Lance Jacquard of OTJ Architects)
“Although the church was It was disassembled properly “For visiting girls, Christians, and people of good will everywhere, this is a clear and painful misuse of space,” the petition reads.
“We, the Visitation Academy graduates, concerned citizens of Frederick, Maryland, and others who are dismayed by the use of this space, ask that you make the necessary changes as soon as possible to restore its dignity and respect for its sacred heritage — either by removing the altar and tabernacle or relocating it,” the petition adds. The tape goes somewhere else.
Corrin told Fox News Digital that the petition was delivered to the hotel Thursday morning, and a meeting with hotel management was requested, but she said they have not received any response.
Visit hotel Reviews on her website After it was sold in 2017, the site was no longer sacred.
“The sale stipulated that the property and church be used for non-religious purposes,” the hotel’s website said. “Sacred objects have been removed from the church. Any remaining items are there only to preserve the historic character of the building, as required by secular authorities.”
Jim O'Hare, co-developer of the Visitation Hotel, said he and his team paid the diocese $2.75 million for the property in 2017 and took every step the diocese requested, including officially dedicating the church, as well as restoring the church. The tabernacle and the relics found in the altar.
“Because we wanted to respect the previous use of the church, we went beyond simply cleansing the church,” he said. “We removed the post-Vatican II altar that was used for Mass and the sacraments. We donated the Stations of the Cross and crucifixes to local churches. We moved statues of the Virgin Mary and Joseph into our courtyard garden. We deliberately built the altar bar separate from the historic altar.”
Father John Williamson of St. John's Church in Frederick desecrates the church. (Derek Erwey, Visit Hotel Manager)
But Corinne told Fox News Digital that as an alumna, it was important for her to start the petition to “defend the historic and sacred integrity of the former church.”
“The response to the petition demonstrates the level of anger and pain the developer’s decision has caused to many alumni and other community members,” she said. “The church-turned-pub still has the look and feel of a Catholic church with many sacred objects remaining. This has caused many to express strong discomfort with the location of the bar directly at the high altar.”
She added: “They could have put the penis anywhere, but the choice to put it there shows a clear disregard for the sacred heritage of the place.” “Others commented that even though they are not religious, they find this very disrespectful – you don't have to be Christian to see this as very offensive. Many have left comments that they will avoid Marriott hotels until this matter is remedied.”
Corrin pointed to the Catholic school's 150-year history, including serving as a cloister, a girls' school and a Civil War hospital.
“The most logical solution is to simply move the pub elsewhere,” she said. “However, the owners may also consider working with the local historical society to remove the marble high altar.”
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From left to right: Sister Frances Therese Leary, VHM, Sister Marie Paula Leary, VHM, Mother Marguerite Therese Leary, VHM and Sister Marie Joseph Sander, VHM (Virginia Leary)
“Top Chef” star and James Beard semifinalist Brian Voltaggio, along with his brother Michael Voltaggio, lead the charge at Wye Oak Tavern. “We're here for the drama. Welcome to the Wye Oak Tavern.” she posted on her Instagram Two days after launching the petition.
“Respecting a former place of worship is not a drama,” Coren said in response. “It's basic fitness.”
Virginia Leary, who had three aunts who served as nuns at the Visitation Convent and Academy for decades, including one aunt who served as Mother Superior, told Fox News Digital that the church was the heart of the convent.
For this reason, she said the altar tape was a personal insult to her and her family because of what it symbolized to her aunts, other nuns who dedicated their lives to their faith, their community, and the students of the school.
“The understanding reached would honor and respect previous uses,” she said. “That was my expectation until a visiting nun from another monastery called me to tell me about the petition.”
“How does turning the altar into a bar represent honor and respect?” I asked. “I think there is something missing if we have to explain why turning an altar into a bar is wrong and offensive.”
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O'Hare explained that he himself is a Catholic and that it was very important to him to honor the order and respect the nuns who lived and taught at the Visitation, as well as the girls who taught at the school.
“I think we accomplished that,” he said.
“The alumni who started the petition have not seen our efforts in person,” he said. “They are reacting to the photos in local newspapers. I encourage them and anyone with concerns to come and see for themselves how much care we have taken to respectfully repurpose the church.”
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced the closure of 31 churches in the Baltimore area. If churches cannot be adaptively reused, they will be torn down, they will not generate revenue, and their history and those who worshiped there will be lost, O'Hare said.
“This would be a bad outcome for everyone,” he added. “We have been open for 10 days, and fortunately, demand for the restaurant and hotel has been very strong.”
“Our guests did not express any concerns about the use of the former church,” he added. “In fact, people love to hear the stories that make up the history of a visit. We tell those stories throughout the hotel, and on our website.”
When reached for comment, the Archdiocese of Baltimore told Fox News Digital that it was sympathetic to those who raised concerns about the situation.
A faithful walk through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Wednesday, December 25, 2024, after Pope Francis opened it on Christmas Eve, marking the start of the 2025 Catholic Jubilee. (AP Photo/Andrew Medicini)
Richard Griffin, economic development director for the city of Frederick, told Fox News Digital that the city is “thrilled” to have the Visit Hotel be the first hotel in downtown Frederick in 50 years.
“The historic building was left vacant after the Visitation Academy closed nearly a decade ago,” he said. “It takes great vision and special investment to renovate and reuse a large, vacant historic structure like the Visitation Building that no longer meets contemporary building codes for handicap accessibility, life safety and amenities.”
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“Without their multi-million dollar investment, the building would likely have remained vacant and neglected for years,” he added. “As a result of their investment and vision, thousands of visitors will be able to see the fully restored building and many will hold business and family events at the facility. This results in jobs, a tax base and visitor spending that benefits the revitalization of historic downtown Frederick and the region.”
