From Native American sites to twenty-first-century mega churches, Pennsylvanians have inherited an abundance of sacred spaces. Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and cemeteries stand as architectural landmarks in our towns and cities, but their survival is not always assured. Many of these buildings house congregations that struggle to afford the upkeep. Changing needs have made other structures redundant. Some of these have been converted for secular purposes or became historic sites, but the least fortunate sit empty and untended. What is the community’s proper role in the stewardship of these sacred and formerly sacred spaces?
This interactive program will be held at Trinity Center for Urban Life, 2212 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA
November 10, 2011, 7 – 9 p.m.
“An Abundance of Sacred Places” is offered as part of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission’s 2011 theme, William Penn’s Legacy: Religious and Spiritual Diversity. A second lecture, “Religious Pluralism and Tolerance” will be held November 17, 2011, 7-9 p.m. at Camp Curtin Memorial Mitchell United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, PA.
The program schedules and pdf files are available on the PHMC website.
There is no charge for the program. Refreshments will be served.