What Blondie said.
I think that if you were in the mood to play detective just a bit, you should first get your friend to tell you as close as she can when this was supposed to have happened. Then visit your local library and tell the librarian that you are interested in researching the local news from that period of time, then see if you can find anything about it. You could also interview some of the pastors and priests that were supposedly involved in the opposition.
Librarians are very helpful usually in making the resources accessible to interested people, and the "Babylonish" religious leaders will naturally recall such an episode if the invested that much energy into it.
"Let REALITY be found true, though every Dub be found a liar." - Nathanicles 3:16
If you do find that this story is a crock of stink, rub your friend's nose in it until she can't breathe.