A group of nuns is ready to fight a new strip club adjacent to a Roman Catholic convent in suburban Stone Park.
Sister Marissonia Daltoe told the Chicago Sun-Times she's not only concerned about the morality of the club, but the legality of it, specifically whether it was built too close to the nuns’ property line.
The club, still under construction, is tentatively called "Get It" and will feature partially nude performers and alcohol. It would sit adjacent to the convent, fewer than two feet from the nuns’ property, which sits partially in Stone Park and partially in Melrose Park.
It sought approval from the town in 2010, and the village attorney said there were two public hearings held on the matter.
The convent, the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo – Scalabrinians, includes a home for elderly and sick nuns, as well as a place for young women to join the sisterhood.
"We are supposed to be forming them in an environment which is conducive to prayer, quiet, and a place where they can grow spiritually," said Sister Noemie.
The sisters said the town didn't officially notify them of the project, and Stone Park officials said the notification letters were sent to the wrong address because of an apparent Cook County error. The letters aren't required.
Town officials said they met all other legal requirements, though Mayor Beniamino Mazzulla told the Sun-Times he signed on to the deal only after a 2010 lawsuit against Stone Park by developers.
The owner of Get It told the Sun-Times he wants to be a good neighbor and will limit the light and noise from the club. He said the club will be a high-tech, high-class venue.
Another strip club sits down the street from the one still being built.
