Historic Roman Catholic Church Sold to Muslims Set on Fire for the Third Time in the US
In New York State, an ancient church was engulfed in flames just four days after the previous fire.
In American Buffalo, unknown individuals set fire to the historic Catholic Church of Saint Anne, which its new owners plan to convert into a mosque. This is already the third case of deliberate destruction of the building by fire since the beginning of the current year. This is reported by Life Site News.
The city's fire department confirmed the deliberate nature of the crime on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Just four days before this incident, a major fire had also been extinguished at the site, and in January flames completely destroyed the parish school and caused $600,000 in damage to the main structure. The New York State Police continue to investigate the previous incidents, in which no one was injured.
The Roman Catholic diocese closed the Gothic church, built in 1886, back in 2013 due to the emergency condition of the roof. In 2022, the building was sold for $250,000 to the Islamic center Buffalo Crescent Holdings.
The new owners intend to renovate the church; however, the restoration requires an investment of several million dollars. Local activists on social media have described the series of attacks as an attempt to "erase Christian culture" amid plans to Islamize the property.
As the SPJ reported, two historic Catholic churches burned down in France in a single day.
