More than 3,000 upset people have signed a petition demanding that the owners of a Maryland Marriott hotel relocate a bar that was formerly a chapel.
The Wye Oak Tavern, which is part of the recently inaugurated Visitation Hotel in Frederick, Maryland, has encountered opposition for utilizing the chapel’s high altar as a focal point for the bar.
The petition, led by Elyssa Koren, a lawyer and alumna of the Visitation Academy, calls on the hotel owners to ‘restore the dignity of the chapel by relocating the bar.’
Koren launched the petition on December 15, emphasizing the emotional and spiritual significance of the space to alumni and the local community.
The chapel, previously part of the Visitation Convent and Academy — a Catholic all-girls school founded in 1846 — was deconsecrated after its closure in 2016 due to declining enrollment.
The property was sold in 2017 and reopened as a boutique hotel in December 2024.
While the hotel removed sacred objects, it retained architectural elements like stained glass windows and kneeling angel statues to preserve the site’s historical character.
Koren and petition signatories argue that the bar’s placement at the former high altar is a misuse of a space many still regard as sacred.
A petition with over 3,000 signatures urges the owners of the Wye Oak Tavern in Frederick, Maryland, to relocate a bar placed at the former high altar of a deconsecrated chapel within the Visitation Hotel.
A petition led by Elyssa Koren, a lawyer and alumna of the Visitation Academy, calls on the hotel owners to ‘restore the dignity of the chapel by relocating the bar’
‘Even though the chapel was properly deconsecrated – for the girls of Visitation, for Christians, and for people of goodwill everywhere, this is an evident and painful misuse of the space,’ the petition reads.
Jim O’Hare, a co-developer of the Visitation Hotel, defended the project, noting steps taken to respect the chapel’s history.
These include removing sacred items, donating religious artifacts to local churches and creating a bar design that is visually distinct from the altar.
‘Because we wanted to be respectful of the prior use of the chapel, we went well beyond just deconsecration,’ he said.
‘We removed the post-Vatican II altar which was used for mass and sacraments. We donated stations of the cross and crucifixes to local churches. We moved statues of Virgin Mary and Joseph to our courtyard garden. And, we very purposely have constructed the bar to be separate from the historic altar.’
The petition has stirred strong emotions, with supporters emphasizing the chapel’s legacy as a place of worship, education, and service.
Koren called the placement of the bar ‘deeply disrespectful,’ adding that it diminishes the site’s sacred heritage.
Virginia Leary, whose aunts served as nuns at the Visitation Convent, echoed these sentiments.
‘How does converting the altar to a bar represent honor and respect?’ she asked. ‘I believe something is missing if we have to explain why converting an altar to a bar is wrong and offensive.’
Critics of the petition argue that adaptive reuse of the chapel preserves its history and prevents demolition.
‘That would be a bad result for everyone,’ he said regarding the demolition of religious buildings if they are not repurposed. ‘We have been open for 10 days and, thankfully, demand for the restaurant and the hotel has been very strong.’
O’Hare highlighted the challenges of repurposing historic religious properties, citing the closure of 31 churches in the Baltimore area in 2024.
‘The alumni that started the petition have not seen our efforts in person,’ he said. ‘They are reacting to pictures in the local paper. I encourage them and anyone who has concerns to come see for themselves the great care we have taken to respectfully repurpose the chapel.’
The Archdiocese of Baltimore, which approved the chapel’s sale and deconsecration, expressed sympathy for those concerned but reaffirmed the property’s secular designation.
The chapel was deconsecrated and sold in 2017 after the school’s closure, and sacred items were removed. The hotel developers assert they took steps to honor the site’s history, preserving its architectural features and ensuring the bar is distinct from the altar
The Archdiocese of Baltimore and city officials support the property’s repurposing, highlighting its economic and cultural value
‘Our guests have expressed no concerns about the use of the former chapel,’ he added. ‘In fact, people love hearing the stories that make up the history of Visitation. We tell those stories throughout the property, and on our website.’
Richard Griffin, Frederick’s economic development director, praised the project as an investment in the city’s future, emphasizing its significance as Downtown Frederick’s first hotel in 50 years.
‘The historic building was left vacant after the Visitation Academy was closed nearly a decade ago,’ he said. ‘It takes great vision and private investment to renovate and adaptively reuse a large vacant historic structure like the Visitation building which no longer met contemporary building codes for handicap accessibility, life safety, and utilities.’
The debate continues, with Koren urging the owners to relocate the bar or work with the local historical society to remove the altar entirely.
Meanwhile, the Wye Oak Tavern and its chefs, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, have yet to comment further on the controversy.
