Rozanski says he is "very concerned" about limits on priests at the jail
Mitchell T. RozanskiArchbishop of St. Louis and plaintiff in the lawsuit
Rozanski says the restrictions on priests ministering to detainees at Ste. Genevieve concern him and calls the issue one of religious freedom.
Responding to
The Ste. Genevieve County jail's visitation policy prevents Catholic priests from giving Communion, hearing confessions or celebrating Mass for ICE detainees held there.
“That is why I'm very concerned about the restrictions that are placed on our priests in being able to minister to the detainees who are at Ste. Genevieve.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
St. Louis archdiocese sues over clergy limits at Missouri jail holding ICE detainees; DHS calls the claims false
The Archdiocese of St. Louis sued Ste. Genevieve County jail officials and federal immigration officials on October 5, 2026, saying the jail's no-contact visiting rules keep priests from giving Communion, hearing confessions or saying Mass for ICE detainees. The Department of Homeland Security calls the allegations false and says county limits on physical contact do not mean religious services are denied.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Report in the St. Louis Review, the archdiocese's newspaper, on the lawsuit filed October 5, 2026. It summarizes the complaint and quotes the archdiocese's statement and Archbishop Rozanski.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Rozanski spoke to the St. Louis Review about the lawsuit, in which he is a plaintiff.
After the quotation
He said the issue concerns religious freedom, including the ability to minister in prisons, and that the archdiocese is "not giving up".
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Ste. Genevieve County jail's no-contact clergy visiting policy for ICE detainees and federal officials' responsibility for it. Rozanski, a plaintiff, says he is "very concerned about the restrictions that are placed on our priests", so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional; it loses because he states no condition or support for the policy.
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More from this case
Read the full caseDHS says county contact limits do not mean religious services are denied
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
“Let's be clear: County restrictions on physical contact do not mean religious services are denied”Read statement
Archdiocese says denying the sacraments harms Catholic detainees and priests
Archdiocese of St. Louis
“Offering and receiving these sacraments is a central tenet of our faith. Catholics receive the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the deprivation of these sacraments imposes real and immediate harm on Catholic detainees and priests”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Rozanski says he is "very concerned" about limits on priests at the jail". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5976-rozanski-says-the-restrictions-on-priests-ministering-to