A former Catholic church in St. John's is being converted into a mosque
Father Paul Lundrigan says he's thrilled the building will continue to be used for worship
A former Catholic church in St. John's is undergoing renovations to be turned into a mosque.
The Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador has been looking for a new space for 15 years, says president Haseen Khan.
"It is a very kind of special moment in the history of Muslims in Newfoundland and Labrador. They have a new place of worship where they can all get together under one roof," Khan told CBC News.
When the first mosque was built on Logy Bay Road in 1989, there were only around 100 Muslims in the province, said Khan.
Now, he says the population has grown to around 10,000, and the old mosque can only hold about 500 people.
The former Mary Queen of Peace church became available as part of a large-scale sell-off of Catholic properties in 2022 to pay settlement suits for victims of Mount Cashel.
The new mosque can hold up to 2,500 people.
Volunteers are helping renovate the space. The pews have been removed, and the choir pit is being filled it to make a level surface suitable for Islamic prayer.
The stained glass windows are also coming down because images aren't permitted in prayer space, but Khan says nothing will be thrown away. One room will be converted into an archival space to hold artifacts from the church.
"That's the history of this building. So we want the people, the future generations, to know how this place has evolved," Khan said.
Now the association is preparing for Eid. Usually, they would rent a space to accommodate thousands of people, but they're hoping to have the new mosque ready.
The association will host two prayer sessions, each with 2,500 people, and will continue renovations afterwards.
Khan said they've received positive feedback and support from the community in response to the new space.
"People from different walks of life, carpenters, electricians, they are coming here and they are volunteering their time to do whatever they can do," Khan said.
'Used again as a house of worship'
Father Paul Lundrigan, a former priest of the Mary Queen of Peace church, says he's overjoyed by the building's new tenants.
"Everybody in the area was very heartbroken to see the loss of this place as a church because it meant so much to so many of us," said Lundrigan.
However, now he is thrilled that the building was bought by the Muslim association.
He said he heard it would be turned into an office space or torn down altogether, but said he is happy "it's going to be used again as a house of worship for God."
"I think the tradition of building community and having a place to come together to share our values and to do something about it, is going to carry on with another wonderful sacred tradition [through] the Muslim association," said Lundrigan.
WATCH | Here's an early look inside St. John's newest mosque:
Khan agreed.
"A place of worship is being used as a place of worship. So this has a very special meaning and purpose for us," he said.
"We believe in the same God and we have more in common than in differences. So I think that it is a very good movement."
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