Indiana woman sues Catholic church over banning husband's NASCAR tombstone

The Rev. Jonathan Meyer, a priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Indianapolis, is refusing to let the widow of a NASCAR enthusiast use the $9,600 black granite headstone she purchased to honor her late husband, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

The Indiana woman, Sharon Carr, is suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, arguing that the clergy gave her no regulations for the plot of her husband, Jason Carr, who died in an August 2009 automobile accident, until after she tried to have the headstone put up. Meyer reportedly refused on the grounds that it did not meet the cemetery's aesthetic standards and claims the rules were known prior to burial.

"We have consistently communicated the same message prior to the purchase and after the purchase," he said. "We did not think a granite couch was an appropriate monument in our historic cemetery."

The headstone is shaped like a couch and features images of a deer, a dog and color logos of NASCAR and the Indianapolis Colts, capturing Jason Carr's interests in sports and the outdoors. The issue has divided the church community and sparked allegations that the church hasn't treated Carr's family with compassion, which Meyer denies. Sharon Carr has refused to speak publicly about the case.

[Woman with tombstone via Shutterstock]