Historic Catholic church sold to Muslims set on fire for third time in US

St. Ann’s Church in Buffalo. Photo: The Buffalo News

Unknown assailants have set fire to the historic Catholic Church of St. Ann in Buffalo, which its new owners plan to convert into a mosque. This is the third suspected arson attack on the building since the beginning of the year, LifeSiteNews reports.

The Buffalo Fire Department confirmed on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, that the fire had been deliberately set. Just four days earlier, firefighters had battled another major blaze at the site. In January, flames completely destroyed the former parish school and caused an estimated $600,000 in damage to the main church building.

New York State Police are continuing to investigate the earlier incidents, none of which resulted in injuries.

The Roman Catholic Diocese closed the Gothic Revival church, built in 1886, in 2013 because of the deteriorating condition of its roof. In 2022, the property was sold for $250,000 to the Islamic organization Buffalo Crescent Holdings.

The new owners plan to renovate the church, although restoring the building will require several million dollars in investment. Local activists on social media described the series of attacks as an attempt to “erase Christian culture” against the backdrop of plans to convert the property for Islamic use.

As the UOJ previously reported, two historic Catholic churches burned down in France in a single day.

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