Group from La Salle turned away by Westboro Baptist Church

A trip to a controversial church in Kansas leaves a group supporting veterans turned away.  The group included people from the Illinois Valley.

They were in Topeka yesterday, trying to attend a service at the Westboro Baptist Church.  They wanted to honor dead U.S. soldiers by wearing black to the church service. The church and its founder, Fred Phelps Sr., have gained notoriety by picketing at soldiers’ funerals.

Jerry Bacidore of La Salle says he was given permission by Shirley Phelps-Roper to attend the noon service, but when his group showed up, it was turned away.

Phelps-Roper told The Topeka Capital Journal the group would have been welcome if Bacidore hadn’t publicized the visit in a letter to the newspaper.