A hotel in Maryland has a bar on the altar of a former school chapel, and critics want it moved
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling on the owners of the chapel-turned-bar on the Maryland Marriott property to refrain from serving drinks from the former high altar.
Catholics are asking the Wye Oak Tavern at the recently opened luxury boutique Visitation Hotel in Frederick, Md., to restore the dignity of the chapel. 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 chapel of the Convent and Academy of the Pilgrimage, a Catholic school for girls that was founded in 1846. It closed its doors in June 2016 due to low enrollment, and was then purchased in 2017, and as a hotel opened in 2024.
Elyssa Koren, an attorney, mother of five, and alumna of the 2000 Campaign Academy, started the petition on December 15 at Change.org, asking the owners of the Visitation Hotel to “restore the dignity of the chapel by moving the premises”.
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Wye Oak Tavern. (Lance Jaccard of OTJ Architects)
“Although the chapel was duly deconsecrated “For the girls of Pohođenje, for Christians and for people of good will everywhere, this is an evident and painful abuse of space,” the petition reads.
“We, the alumni of the Visitation Academy, the concerned citizens of Frederick, Maryland, and others appalled by the use of this space, ask that you make the necessary changes as soon as possible to restore its dignity and honor its sacred heritage – either by removing the altar and tabernacle or by relocating premises to another place,” the petition adds.
Koren 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 heard back.
Hotel for visits notes on their website that after the sale in 2017, the place was no longer consecrated.
“The sale is conditioned on the property and chapel being used for non-religious purposes,” according to the hotel’s website. “Sacred objects have been removed from the chapel. All remaining objects are present solely to maintain 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 Archdiocese $2.75 million for the property in 2017 and took all the steps the Archdiocese required, including officially deconsecrating the chapel as well as returning the tabernacle and relics that were were in the altar.
“Because we wanted to respect the former use of the chapel, we went far beyond mere deconsecration,” he said. “We removed the altar after the Second Vatican Council that was used for mass and the sacraments. We donated the Stations of the Cross and the crucifix to local churches. We moved the statues of the Virgin Mary and Joseph to our garden in the courtyard. And we very deliberately built the bar to be separate from the historic altar .”
Father John Williamson from the Church of St. John in Frederick at the deconsecration of the chapel. (Derrick Erwee, Visitation Hotel Manager)
But Koren told Fox News Digital that as an alumni, it was important to her to start the petition to “stand up for the historic and sacred integrity of the former chapel.”
“The response to the petition clearly shows the level of anger and pain the developer’s decision has caused many alumni and other community members,” she said. “The tavern-turned-chapel still has the look and feel of a Catholic church with many sacred objects remaining. Because of this, many have expressed serious discomfort with the location of the bar directly on the high altar.”
“They could have placed the bar anywhere, but the choice to place it there shows a blatant disregard for the sacred heritage of the space,” she added. “Others commented that even though they’re not religious, they felt it was extremely disrespectful – you don’t have to be a Christian to see this as deeply offensive. And many left comments saying they would avoid Marriott properties until it was fixed.”
Koren highlighted the Catholic school’s 150-year history, including cloistered convent service, girls’ schools and Civil War hospitals.
“The most reasonable solution is simply to move the bar to another place,” 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 Francis Therese Leary, VHM, Sister Mary Paula Leary, VHM, Mother Marguerite Therese Leary, VHM and Sister Mary Joseph Sander, VHM (Virginia Leary)
“Top Chef” star and James Beard semifinalist Bryan Voltaggio, along with his brother Michael Voltaggio, are leading the charge at the Wye Oak Tavern. “We’re here for the drama. Welcome to the Wye Oak Tavern,” the restaurant posted on his Instagram two days after starting the petition.
“Respecting the former place of worship is not a drama,” answered Koren. – That is basic decency.
Virginia Leary, who had three aunts who served as nuns at the Pilgrimage Convent and Academy for decades, including one aunt who served as a mother superior, told Fox News Digital that the chapel is the heart of the convent.
Because of this, she said the altar grate is personally offensive to her and her family because of what it symbolizes to her aunts and other nuns, who have dedicated their lives to faith, the community and the students at the school.
“The understanding included ‘respect and respect for previous uses,'” she said. “That was my expectation until Sister Visitation from another convent contacted me to tell me about the petition.”
“How does turning an altar into a bar represent honor and respect?” she asked. “I believe something is 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 is Catholic himself, and that it was very important to him that the design pay homage and respect to the nuns who lived and taught in Pohođenje, as well as the girls who studied at the school.
“I believe we succeeded,” he said.
“The former students who started the petition did not see our efforts in person,” he said. “They are reacting to the pictures in the local newspaper. I encourage them and all those who have doubts to come and see for themselves the great care we devoted to the conversion of the chapel.”
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced the closing of 31 churches in the Baltimore area. O’Hare said that if churches can’t be adaptively reused, then they will be demolished, they will not generate revenue and their history and those who served there will be lost.
“That would be a bad result for everybody,” he said. “We have been open for 10 days and, luckily, the demand for the restaurant and hotel has been very high.”
“Our guests did not express any concerns about the use of the former chapel,” he added. “In fact, people love to hear the stories that make up Visitation’s history. We tell those stories throughout the property and on our website.”
When reached for comment, the Archdiocese of Baltimore told Fox News Digital that it sympathizes with those who have expressed concern about the situation.
The faithful walk through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Wednesday, December 25, 2024, after it was opened by Pope Francis on Christmas Eve, marking the beginning of the Catholic Jubilee in 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Richard Griffin, the city of Frederick’s director of economic development, told Fox News Digital that the city is “thrilled” to have the Visitation Hotel as its first downtown Frederick hotel in 50 years.
“The historic building sat empty after the visiting academy closed nearly a decade ago,” he said. “It takes great vision and private investment to renovate and adaptively reuse a large vacant historic building like the Visitation Building that no longer met modern building codes for disability accessibility, life safety and utilities.”
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“If it wasn’t for their investment worth several million dollars, the building would probably have remained empty and decayed for years,” he added. “As a result of their investment and vision, thousands of visitors will be able to see a fully restored building, and many will have 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.”
