Staten Island Church Reconsiders Deal to Sell Vacant Convent for Use as a MosqueBy PAUL VITELLO
Published: June 17, 2010A plan to sell a Roman Catholic convent on Staten Island to a Muslim group for use as a mosque is faltering in the face of community opposition.
In a letter sent on Thursday to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, the Rev. Keith Fennessy, the pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church, which owns the convent in the Midland Beach neighborhood, said he had given the deal a second look and “concluded that the contemplated sale would not serve the needs of the parish.”
Many members of the parish joined other community residents last week in loudly expressing disapproval of the sale at a heated public meeting that drew about 400 people. Many of them expressed distrust of Muslims and fears that the mosque would harbor terrorists.
Though Father Fennessy signed a contract last month to sell the vacant convent to the Muslim American Society for $750,000, he wrote in his letter, “I wish to formally withdraw my support for the sale and request that it not take place.”
The sale of any parish property must be approved by that parish’s board of trustees, which includes the pastor, two lay members of his congregation, the archdiocese’s vicar general and the archbishop.
Joseph Zwilling, the spokesman for the New York Archdiocese, said that Archbishop Dolan had taken no position on the proposed sale beyond what he wrote last week on his blog. In that post, the archbishop referred to the vehement opposition to the proposed mosque and one planned near ground zero.
“Legitimate and understandable concerns about these two endeavors have arisen, and it is good these are being aired and discussed,” he wrote, adding, “It is acceptable to ask questions about security, safety, the background and history of the groups hoping to build and buy.”
“What is not acceptable,” he concluded, “is to prejudge any group, or to let fear and bias trump the towering American (and for us Catholics, the religious) virtues of hospitality, welcome, and religious freedom.”
The Muslim American Society, a Washington-based nonprofit group that helps plant new mosques in communities throughout the country, planned to use the convent only on Fridays, as a prayer hall and a community center.
Ayman Hammous, president of the society’s Staten Island branch, said he was disappointed by the pastor’s change of heart.
“But at this point, as far as I am concerned, we still have a deal,” he said. “We are not backing off.”
Mahdi Bray, the society’s national executive director, blamed the setback more on the “meddling” of what he called anti-Muslim Web sites than on opposition of the church or its members.
“There is a lot of hostility being whipped up,” he said, referring to sites that have published unsubstantiated claims of the society’s ties to terrorism.
“But we are optimistic that the majority of Catholics uphold the rights of everyone to worship in this country,” he said.
Yasmin Ammirato, president of the Midland Beach Civic Association, which organized last week’s meeting and was officially neutral, said she was relieved that the sale now seemed to have been blocked.
Though she never agreed with opponents who said that the Muslim American Society had ties to terrorist organizations — claims never made by government authorities — she said she was worried about how the mosque would affect parking in the neighborhood on Fridays. “It would have been a nightmare.”
It has been a long and rocky road in regards to the war with Islam, but this article shows us that the country is slowly waking up. As in the UK, non-Muslims are protesting proposed Mosques and getting positive results. One thing that our politicians should be looking into, is where is the funding for all of these proposed Mosques coming from? No foreign countries should be allowed to fund houses of worship here, or influence what is taught in our universities. A country like Saudi Arabia which does not have our best interests at heart, has far too much influence in America. In order to save America as we know it things must change, and I do not mean Obama “change”.
The funding issue is a good angle. I understand that the majority of CAIR’s funding comes from Soddy Barbaria.
Its about time this country starts taking action.
Things escalated out of control when these muslims showed up in veils etc– it is not religious but man ruled–
Does this bomb make my ass look fat?
they need to melt– not keep themselves separated.
The Muslim community is not going to change, they stand with their religion over us. It is time to end all Muslim immigration.
tHEY CANNOT CHANGE! Because a Muslim has to do what the Koran says, if he isn’t then he is not a Muslims. So please go and educate yourself on Sharia law, we must ban every facet of that law. One law for all! Islam is the only religion that can’t accept our law! They only accept their Koran! and Sharia Law.
They will simply have to learn, that they are not in their own country but in ours. And our country works with those laws! We don’t need help from Islam! Fit in or ship out.
admin, they stand with their religion alright but it isn’t going to be “over” us…….GOD has been on our side, and although he may be showing us we need to get closer to Him, he wont desert those who Stand with Israel, and WE stand with Israel….obama speaks only for himself, he doesn’t speak for the Majority of Americans…….I just wish someone had the balls to FORCE him to produce the relevant Documents he is required to have to prove his is a Natural Born citizen, because when it is shown he is NOT, everything he has done to America will be Automatically reversed , every Law,every single document he has signed will be worthless….Null and Void
At first I’ve supported Obama, but now I had some feelings of doubt, especially on some report I heard that he used Americans’ tax money as a donation to Palestine..
Nadal Hasan should show Most Americans, Islam isn’t a Peaceful Religion……a soldier of the US armed forces who turned on his fellow Soldiers and killing them in cold blood with no provocation isn’t even remotely peaceful, in any book I am aware of….he yelled Allah u Akbar, ….that was strictly a religious HATE Killing, and had nothing to do with anything but Hatred, Hatred that Lied Dormant till he could accomplish the most damage to as many people who worked with him every day, and there are Literally THOUSANDS of sleepers in America right under our noses, with the Government and a select few in it, facilitating them, just like those17 who are missing from Lackland AFB….if these people aren’t a RED Flag…..I don’t know what Is, and it should be INSTANT Deportation if you leave the area you are supposed to be while in the USA.
If money wins the day the muslims will have made their point: our institutions are bankrupt and we are too ignorant to survive.
For a handful of Americans who own property in spots where the Muslims want to build a mosque, they are selling for personal greed at the expense of our basic freedoms. Contrast that situation with an individual Muslim suicide bomber who is willing to lay down his life for the furtherance of his faith. That single point is why we are losing this battle against Islam invading us. There will always be weak links everywhere, willing to achieve selfish personal gain by sacrificing everyone else in the process. it makes me sick. Consider the sacrifice of the lives in WWII. I don’t know if still have the stomach to “man up” to the fight ahead. It looks more like we’ll lay down or bend over. It should disgust us and instead we fight with the politically correct left Americans instead of the REAL enemy; Islam.
I’m sure there are enough people with a few extra dollars that wouldn’t mind donating enough to buy the convent and make a 9/11 memorial or something. Maybe a catholic museum…whatever
Fact: There are 57 backward Muslim Third World Countries. Of those 57 countries, not one falls as advanced in the first 30 andvanced countries. Muslim countries remain third rate or worse. That rabid animal called Shariah keeps them thinking third rate or worse.
Fact: Despite what you have heard to the contrary, it was Muslims that flew those passenger jets into the World Trade Center. No, it wasn’t Bush or Jews. It was criminal Muslims that committed that horrendous crime.
Proof: Do Catholics commit suicide in order to murder innocent people? Hell no!! Catholics were born with a human brain.
Do Protestants or Jews commit suicide to murder innocent people? Hell no!! Protestants and Jews were born with a human brain.
Do Buddhists or Hindus commit suicide to murder innocent people? Hell no!! Buddhists and Hindus were born with a human brain.
In fact, there are no members of another religion except members of the stupid Islamism that will commit suicide in order to murder innocent people. Yes sir, only Muslims are stupid enough to commit suicide in order to murder innocent people. Only Muslims!! In fact, Muslims blow up themselves all to hell every day!! EVERY DAY!! So what more proof do you want that it was only stupid Muslims that flew those planes into the World Trade Center? Only backward Muslims who come from backward Muslim Third World Countries are lacking in brain power.
WE MUST DESTROY THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF ISLAMISM BEFORE THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF ISLAMISM DESTROY US. AMEN.
P.S. EACH ISLAMIC SECT IS A CRIME SYNDICATE. AMEN AGAIN.
PIAPS HAS OBVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED THE ROMAN POPE TO HAVE HIS SURROGATE IN NEW YORK INTERVENE IN THE GROUND ZERO ISLAMOFASCIST MOSQUE CONTROVERSY!!!!!!!!:
The archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, says he would be “honored” to serve as a mediator in the ever- growing controversy over the proposed mosque hard by Ground Zero.”If I can be a part, say but the word,” Dolan said during an impromptu news conference.
HOW CAN POPERY “MEDIATE” AN ISSUE WHEN THEY HAVE ALREADY PREDETERMINED THEIR ANTI-AMERICA POSITION?!?!?!?!
PAM GELLER, DON’T FALL FOR THIS JESUITICAL PLOY!!!!!!
IT IS NOW CLEAR TO EVEN THE CASUAL OBSERVER, THAT PIAPS IS MAKING EARLY MOVES TO ESTABLISH HER ONE-WORLD RELIGION!!!!!
THIS WAS INDICATED BY EMMINENT SCHOLAR DR. TIM LAHAYE AS WELL!!!!!!
WE KNOW THAT SAINT PATRICK’S TEMPLE IS ONLY 1.5 MILES AWAY FROM THE UNITED NATIONS, TO WHERE PIAPS WILL DISPATCH CLINTOON IN THE FINAL TRIBULATION PERIOD!!!!!!
THIS MINISTRY URGES OUR NEW YORK READERS TO PRINTOUT THE MORNING AFTER TO PASS OUT TO THOSE DOING THE WORK OF FREEDOM IN PROTESTING AND DEMONSTRATING TO UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF GROUND ZERO!!!!!
HEY, POPE!!!! HEY, PIAPS!!!!
YOU ARE BOTH EXPOSED!!!!!
AMERICA——YEAH!!!!!!