Community prepares for 15th annual Sacred Sites tour
CHENANGO BRIDGE, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Community members will have the chance to check out the insides of some impressive houses of worship this weekend.
This Sunday marks the 15th annual Sacred Sites Open House. Participating congregations will showcase their buildings and educate visitors through guided and self-guided tours.
Saint Mark's Church in Chenango Bridge is participating for the first time this year. The church, which started in parishioners' homes, was mostly built by its members in 1955 and has many stained glass windows. Reverend Dawn-Victoria Mitchell says Saint Mark's has an interesting story to tell.
'It's one of the newer churches in the area, so the feel of it is a very modern feel. Next year, at the end of May, we will be celebrating 75 years of mission and ministry for the community here at Saint Mark's,' Mitchell said.
The wooden altar at Saint Mark's was hand-carved by a nun and depicts an artistic rendition of a Biblical verse. The statewide open house is sponsored by The New York Landmarks Conservancy and locally sponsored by the Preservation Association of the Southern Tier.
PAST Sacred Sites Chairperson, Ron Borgna, says this is a unique opportunity to see the interiors of these buildings. He says the congregations are very welcoming to their visitors.
'The congregations in this area are very, very proud of their houses of worship, in fact, the Binghamton area has 22 sites. That's the most locations open on Sunday across the whole state of New York. Only New York City has more than us, but not by much,' Borgna said.
In addition to Christian churches, there's also a Jewish synagogue and Muslim mosque. The event is free and open to all and does not require any tickets or reservations. Each location has a different start and end time.
For a list of churches and times, go to pastNY.org.
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