Historic New York Church Hit With Repeated Fires Amid Push to Convert it Into a Mosque

One of New York’s oldest churches has caught on fire, once again.

On Tuesday, St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Buffalo, NY suffered its second fire in less than a week — the third fire at the property this year.

Law enforcement believes it was arson.

Here are some images:

BREAKING: 140-year-old St. Ann church set on fire in Buffalo, NY

Cause determined to be arson pic.twitter.com/pEaQgFiF3j

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 22, 2026

Here we go again…a 140-year-old church in Buffalo, New York has been torched twice in 4 days by arson. It’s almost like they’re erasing Christian culture, one historic flame at a time… pic.twitter.com/Y1QIadijvZ

— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) July 23, 2026

Along with the two blazes at the church this week, it also caught on fire back in January.

But, at the time, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said the city would not be responsible for paying the demolition costs. The property owners would have to pay it.

WGRZ reported further:

Buffalo firefighters were called back to the former St. Ann’s Church on Broadway on Tuesday night to battle another fire, marking the second fire at the property in less than a week.

Last Friday, Buffalo Fire tackled a three-alarm fire at the site. Both fires follow the massive flames that destroyed the interior of the former St. Ann’s Roman Catholic School six months ago.

“I was concerned there was gonna be another fire; I just didn’t think it would happen just three or four days later, but here we are. I’m disappointed,” said Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope.

Mayor Sean Ryan said back in January that the city will not pay the nearly $2 million it would take to tear down the school. The mayor added it is the owner’s responsibility to manage the property. The site buildings are owned by Buffalo Crescent Holdings Inc.

Very suspiciously, this all comes as the church’s new Muslim owners have been pushing to turn it into a mosque.

St. Ann’s was built in 1886.

But, it was closed down in August 2024, then sold to an Islamic community.

Grok provided some additional details on the church’s ownership and plans to convert it into a mosque:

The property was sold by the Diocese of Buffalo to a Muslim-affiliated group that intends to convert it into a mosque/Islamic center.

Ownership

Original owner/seller: The Diocese of Buffalo (Catholic Church). The former St. Ann’s Church (built 1886) and its complex (church, school, convent) at 651 Broadway / Emslie Street in Buffalo closed for worship around 2012–2013 due to structural issues and parish consolidation.

Current owner: Buffalo Crescent Holdings, Inc., which purchased the property in November 2022 for $250,000. This holding company is affiliated with the Downtown Islamic Center (a local Muslim organization).

The sale was completed after the Diocese followed Catholic canon law procedures to deconsecrate the building (relegating it to “profane/secular use”), allowing it to be sold for non-Catholic purposes.

Plans for a Mosque

Yes — the buyers have publicly stated their intention to convert the complex into a downtown Islamic Center, including using the former church as a mosque (masjid).

The group’s president, Talha Bakth, said they planned to invest millions in renovations, with worship space usable within a year or two of purchase.

Plans have included community center, school, and other facilities tied to the Islamic community.

This is not the first former Catholic church in Buffalo converted to a mosque; others have undergone similar changes due to declining Catholic attendance in certain neighborhoods and growing Muslim populations.

Recent Context (Fires)

The building has suffered fires recently (including one ruled arson), while vacant and under the new ownership. The city has held the current owner responsible for maintenance and any demolition costs.

Summary: The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo sold the long-closed, deteriorating property to a Muslim organization’s holding company in 2022. That group openly plans to turn it into an Islamic center/mosque. The transaction was legal and followed standard procedures for surplus religious properties.