Worth the trip

Inspirational

By WANDA WAYFARER

Many artists have used them as their inspiration. Devotion is abundantly evident in the meticulous work that goes into every brick fashioning one of these buildings. They are the churches, synagogues and meetinghouses our communities have created out of love and respect for their God(s).

Honesdale is a lovely town and more importantly, community. One of the most pious streets that I have ever seen is called Church Street in Honesdale. The street is lined with seven beautiful examples of spiritual affection. There is a huge brick Catholic Church, gorgeous stone Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches, a Lutheran church, a newer Assembly of God Church, the expansive Methodist Church and, at the end of the block, the pretty white Baptist Church. A block off of Church Street there is also a Jewish synagogue. Every house of worship is unique and striking, each in its own way.

One of the largest churches I have seen is St. Mary’s in historic Port Jervis, NY. The church and its outbuilding encompass a city block. The steeple of the church can be seen from almost any point in the city limits. The inside is as impressive as the outside—the ceilings seem to reach almost to the sky.

Glen Spey is home to the Kadampa Meditation Center. This Buddhist compound is home to rolling fields and meadows. The center is a worldwide gathering spot and the temple is built in the traditional Buddhist fashion. It looks like a temple stolen from an Asian mountainside.

Glen Spey is also home to two Ukrainian Churches. St Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church and St.Volodymyr Ukrainian Church are two of the most beautiful examples of Eastern European architecture. St. Peter and Paul is built with the gold-topped domed steeples that are traditional in this school of building. St.Volodymyr is an amazing wood structure standing many stories tall. Each has its own distinctive identity but they are equally magnificent and striking.

This area is host to an abundant variety of religions and denominations, and with the exponential growth occurring in our region, churches, synagogues and other houses of worship are filling up faster than ever. The art and architecture of these buildings with their stained glass windows, maple altars, beams, pews, domes, steeples and carvings are a celebration of the variety and intensity of this area’s spiritual dimension.