WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) — An order of nuns has filed a federal lawsuit after officials denied a plan to expand their in northern Illinois convent to include a winery, brewery, nursing home and more.
The McHenry County board shot down the Fraternite of Notre Dame’s request earlier this year, saying the large development was a bad fit for the rural area near Huntley.
The Chicago Tribune reports the order has filed a federal lawsuit claiming it was discriminated against on a religious basis. Attorneys are asking a judge to reverse the county board’s decision.
The order operates a soup kitchen and after-school program in Chicago. It also has a chapel and living quarters on nearly 100 acres about 50 miles northwest of Chicago.
Opponents of the expansion say they’re worried about added traffic.
