Catholic Law Professor Mark Rienzi has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. and Cardinal Gregory against Mayor Muriel Bowser—challenging the orders that limit church attendance to 50 people. The suit Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington v. Muriel Bowser aims to challenge the orders that limit church attendance to a hard cap of 50 people rather than a capacity-based limit based on the size and space of the church. As the Christmas season draws nearer and the Covid-19 restrictions tighten in the District of Columbia, the goal is to get the limit lifted in time for Christmas Eve services.

Rienzi was also recently part of a team that won the Diocese of Brooklyn case at the Supreme Court around Thanksgiving. Rienzi represented the Orthodox Jewish Synagogues during that case.