A former Catholic church in St. John's is being converted into a mosque

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

A erstwhile Catholic religion successful St. John's is undergoing renovations to beryllium turned into a mosque.

The Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador has been looking for a caller abstraction for 15 years, says president Haseen Khan. 

"It is simply a precise benignant of peculiar infinitesimal successful the past of Muslims successful Newfoundland and Labrador. They person a caller spot of worship wherever they tin each get unneurotic nether 1 roof," Khan told CBC News.

When the archetypal mosque was built connected Logy Bay Road in 1989, determination were lone astir 100 Muslims successful the province, said Khan.

Now, helium says the colonisation has grown to astir 10,000, and the aged mosque can only clasp astir 500 people. 

The erstwhile Mary Queen of Peace religion became disposable arsenic portion of a large-scale sell-off of Catholic properties successful 2022 to pay settlement suits for victims of Mount Cashel.

The caller mosque can clasp up to 2,500 people. 

Volunteers are helping renovate the space. The pews person been removed, and the choir pit is being filled it to marque a level aboveground suitable for Islamic prayer. 

The stained solid windows are besides coming down because images aren't permitted successful supplication space, but Khan says thing volition beryllium thrown away. One country volition beryllium converted into an archival abstraction to clasp artifacts from the church.

"That's the past of this building. So we privation the people, the aboriginal generations, to cognize however this spot has evolved," Khan said.

Now the relation is preparing for Eid. Usually, they would rent a space to accommodate thousands of people, but they're hoping to person the caller mosque ready. 

The relation volition big 2 supplication sessions, each with 2,500 people, and volition proceed renovations afterwards.

Khan said they've received affirmative feedback and enactment from the assemblage successful effect to the caller space. 

"People from antithetic walks of life, carpenters, electricians, they are coming present and they are volunteering their clip to bash immoderate they tin do," Khan said.

'Used again arsenic a location of worship'

Father Paul Lundrigan, a erstwhile clergyman of the Mary Queen of Peace church, says he's overjoyed by the building's caller tenants.

"Everybody successful the country was precise heartbroken to spot the nonaccomplishment of this spot arsenic a religion due to the fact that it meant truthful overmuch to truthful galore of us," said Lundrigan.

However, present helium is thrilled that the gathering was bought by the Muslim association.

He said helium heard it would beryllium turned into an bureau abstraction oregon torn down altogether, but said helium is blessed "it's going to beryllium utilized again arsenic a location of worship for God."

"I deliberation the contented of gathering assemblage and having a spot to travel unneurotic to stock our values and to bash thing astir it, is going to transportation connected with different fantastic ineffable contented [through] the Muslim association," said Lundrigan. 

WATCH | Here's an aboriginal look wrong St. John's newest mosque:

Khan agreed.

"A place of worship is being utilized arsenic a spot of worship. So this has a precise peculiar meaning and intent for us," helium said.

"We judge successful the aforesaid God and we person much successful communal than successful differences. So I deliberation that it is simply a precise bully movement."

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