DISCOVER PHILADELPHIA, THE CITY FOUNDED ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION

From Places of Worship to Museums, Visitors Can Immerse Themselves in Philadelphia's Religious History 

Philadelphia, PA – June 24, 2015 – When English Quaker William Penn founded Philadelphia, he envisioned a “City of Brotherly Love” that would be open to people of all faiths. People of many different religions came to settle here, bringing their traditions and cuisines, founding houses of worship and continuing Penn's legacy of religious freedom.

As Philadelphia prepares to welcome the 8th World Meeting of Families, here are some of the top historic places of worship visitors to this triennial event should see:

• Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (cathedralphila.org)
  Open since 1864, this beautiful cathedral is modeled after the Lombard Church of Saint Charles in Rome and is a fantastic example of Roman-Corinthian architecture. The vaulted ceiling looms 80 feet above the marble floor and the magnificent stained glass helps illuminate one of the biggest pipe organs in Philadelphia.

• Christ Church and Burial Ground (christchurchphila.org)

Visit the “Nation's Church,” where George Washington and Betsy Ross once worshipped. It is also the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin, who worshipped here as well. The beautiful two-acre burial ground on site is one of the country's most important Colonial and Revolutionary-era cemeteries, with over 1,400 markers.

• Miraculous Medal Shrine (cammonline.org)

Take in the beautiful murals, statues and stained glass that depict the story of Mary's appearance to St. Catherine Labouré. The shrine also holds the only relic the Blessed Mother is believed to have touched in America: a piece of cloth from a chair she once occupied. There is also a museum, which holds over 500 pieces of religious art from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany and China, some of which dates as far back as 1653.

• Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (motherbethel.org)

Visit one of the oldest churches in the country, built in 1792, which is also the oldest church continuously owned by African Americans. The museum inside houses 19th-century artifacts and a collection of archives that include original copies of The Christian Recorder, the oldest existing African American periodical in the country, which started publication before the Civil War.

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• Saint John the Evangelist (stjohnsphilly.com)

This Roman Catholic church towers in the heart of the city and celebrates its 185th anniversary this year. St. John Neumann was consecrated here in 1852. Dubbed the priest of the working class, he helped to build 90 churches and 40 schools as the Bishop of Philadelphia. (You can also see a shrine honoring St. John Neumann at St. Peter the Apostle Parish at 1019 North Fifth St.)

Philadelphia's museums are also home to many religious pieces among their collections. Visitors can check out these attractions to learn more:

·         The Philadelphia Museum of Art (philamuseum.org) One of the largest art museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibits more than 2,000 years of exceptional human creativity in masterpieces of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas.  Various works of a religious nature can be found throughout the museum, including Desiderio da Settignano's Virgin and Child, the Seated Bodhisattva from the T'ang Dynasty, France's Portal from the Abbey Church of Saint-Laurent and Edward Hicks' Noah's Ark. 

• The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (pafa.org)

Founded as the first art school in the United States, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' permanent collection specializes in the work of American artists.  Among its permanent collection are several works with religious themes, including Benjamin West's Christ Rejected and Death on the Pale Horse; Washington Allston's The Dead Man Restored to Life by Touching the Bones of Prophet Elisha; Daniel Huntington's Mercy's Dream and Christiana and Her Family Passing Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death; Charles Willson Peale's Noah and His Ark and Henry O. Tanner's Nicodemus. 

• The Barnes Foundation (barnesfoundation.org)

This impressive collection, located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, spans thousands of years and includes Greek, Egyptian and Roman antiquities; Native American ceramics, textiles and jewelry; African sculptures; 13th- through 20th-century European paintings and sculptures; and American paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Among the religious imagery in the foundation's collection is a wealth of Christian images by artists, including El Greco, Rubens, Delacroix, Veronese and other Spanish, Flemish, French and Italian artists. American postcolonial Christian imagery is also represented in an exciting and diverse collection of New Mexican santos.  These, in combination with African ritual objects, T'ang Dynasty Buddhist sculptures and Egyptian sculptures representing the various Egyptian deities, make The Barnes Foundation a “must see” for visitors in search of religious images translated into powerful aesthetic experiences.

·         Penn Museum (penn.museum)

This museum of anthropology and archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on advancing the understanding of the world's cultural heritage through its research, collection and programming.  The museum has many objects of religious and spiritual importance among its collection, which includes materials from ancient through traditional cultures from around the world.

·         National Museum of American Jewish History (nmajh.org) The only museum in the nation to offer education, exhibits and programs dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Jewish people in America. 

• The African American Museum in Philadelphia (aampmuseum.org)

This museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the culture of African Americans.  The collection includes many religious artifacts, including lithographs of artist Allan Rohan Crite, who examines figures from the Old Testament.  Changing exhibits often feature artwork with spiritual or religious themes.

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For more information on religious attractions, check out Itineraries that showcase Philadelphia's catholic shrines and historic sites: http://www.discoverphl.com/visit/plan-your-trip/itineraries/architecture/catholic-shrines; http://www.discoverphl.com/visit/plan-your-trip/itineraries/religion-meets-history/. 

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Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), www.discoverPHL.com, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official tourism promotion agency for the City of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. The PHLCVB incorporates the short code PHL, an open source graphic identifier for the City of Philadelphia into the Convention & Visitors Bureau brand identity. The graphic identifier and other assets for use by public, private and non-profit organizations can be found at www.PHLpartners.com.

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