A Trail of Sacred Sites in Greater Philadelphia

This mosque and private school located in the former Dubin Company furniture warehouse brightens a corner of Germantown Avenue in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood. The mosaic-and-mural exterior, entitled Doorways to Peace, resulted from a collaboration between Muslim and non-Muslim community members, and includes tiles designed by local children depicting their ideas of peace.

William Penn deeded the land to the Religious Society of Friends to use as a burial ground in 1701. In 1803, Arch Street Meeting House was constructed, and it is the largest meeting house in the world by seating capacity. Dioramas about William Penn’s life and a piece of “treaty elm” believed to be from Penn’s 1682 treaty with the Native Americans help chronicle the experience of the people upon whose principles Pennsylvania was founded. Grounds are open Tuesday through Saturday; building is open Friday and Saturday.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954 and dedicated in 1959, Beth Sholom Synagogue is one of only four synagogues nationwide to be designated a National Historic Landmark. The building, which incorporates the rich symbols of Judaism, is the only synagogue designed by Wright and one of the last projects he completed before his death. One-hour guided tours are available by appointment only.

Since 1864, the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul has served as the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The domed Roman-Corinthian cathedral just off of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway contains numerous mosaics, medallions, Italian marble columns and a crypt holding the remains of most of Philadelphia’s bishops and some of its prominent clergymen. In August 2018, the Cathedral became the site of the Saint Katherine Drexel Shrine and tomb. Drexel (1858-1955) is known for her work with African- and Native-Americans. The cathedral is open daily for mass and prayer.

Perhaps Philadelphia’s most recognized place of worship, Christ Church is where many of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Robert Morris, worshiped. Benjamin Franklin and six other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here. Tours of the National Historic Landmarks occur throughout the day. Just several blocks away, the Christ Church Burial Ground includes among the interred signers of the Declaration of Independence as well as Benjamin Franklin and his wife Deborah. The Burial Ground is open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Located in North Philadelphia just steps away from the campus of Temple University, the George W. South Memorial Church of the Advocate is a landmark institution rich with religious, social and architectural history. Designed by Charles Burns, a recognized church architect from the 19th and early 20th century, Church of the Advocate displays stunning Gothic architecture complemented by a series of religious and civil-rights-themed murals. Limited in-person worship is available.

A stunning 1927 Moorish Revival building on North Broad Street is home to Congregation Rodeph Shalom, the oldest Ashkenazic synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Inside, mosaic and stained glass showcase the Byzantine Revival style. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The community hosts programming around anti-racism, social justice and LGTBQ inclusion. Services remain online as of April 2021.

In use since 1700, the building that houses Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Episcopal Church holds the designation of the oldest church building in Pennsylvania and the second oldest in the United States. It also boasts one of the country’s oldest baptismal fonts — a massive Swedish-style font crafted in 1731. Models of the two ships that brought the first Swedish colonists to the region hang from the ceiling.

The country’s oldest, continually used Methodist church, St. George’s licensed Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, the first African-American Lay Preachers of Methodism, before racial tensions led them to split from the church and establish their own churches. Francis Asbury preached his first sermon in America in this sanctuary in 1771; he later became the leader and pioneer bishop of American Methodism in 1784, after its establishment as new denomination. A museum and library house documents dating to the 1700s; tours are currently on hold due to COVID-19.

Along the busy Girard Avenue corridor sits the St. John Neumann Shrine, part of St. Peter the Apostle Church. The functioning urban parish houses the remains of the bishop who’s credited with establishing the diocesan Catholic school system in America. In the basement of the baroque church, visitors are invited to offer prayers in front of a glass tomb that contains St. John Neumann’s (1811-1860) remains. Tours are available Monday through Saturday for groups of 10 or more; a guided cell phone tour is available for individuals. Masses and confessions are held several times daily.

The oldest continuous Jewish synagogue in the country traces its beginning to 1740, when Thomas Penn granted land to Nathan Levy for a burial ground. In 1782, the temple’s first house of worship was completed with financial assistance from Benjamin Franklin and others. The nearby cemetery contains the grave of Rebecca Gratz, who founded the first Jewish Sunday School and reportedly was the inspiration for the character Rebecca in Ivanhoe. Call for docent tour times or to schedule a cemetery tour.

People walk on hallowed ground when they visit Mother Bethel, the “Mother” Church of the nation’s first, independent Black denomination. What began at Mother Bethel is now an international denomination on five continents and more than 40 nations. Sitting on land purchased by A.M.E. founder Bishop Richard Allen in 1791, Mother Bethel holds the distinction of being the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African-Americans. The current church memorializes Bishop Richard Allen, its founding pastor and first consecrated bishop of the A.M.E. Church with a statue of his likeness on the corner of 6th and Lombard Streets. The basement houses Allen’s tomb, The Richard Allen Museum and the Mother Bethel Archives. Trained docents are available for free tours; walk-ins are welcome, but larger groups are encouraged to schedule a tour in advance. Visitors are encouraged to attend Sunday morning services at 9:30 a.m.

Soon after the church’s founding in 1768, one of its first pastors, George Duffield, defied British arrest by serving as chaplain to the First Continental Congress and joining Washington at Valley Forge. Thanks to Duffield’s loyalty and the support of patriots such as John Adams, Old Pine soon became known as the “Church of the Patriots.” More than 285 Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in the church’s graveyard. Today, it remains the only Presbyterian structure in Philadelphia dating back to Colonial and Revolutionary times. It is open daily.

Philadelphia’s oldest Catholic community was founded in 1733 and has been led continuously by the Jesuit community. During COVID-19 restrictions, the church is open only during regularly scheduled masses.

Built in 1763, St. Mary’s was the second Roman Catholic institution in the city, and it figured prominently in the life of Colonial and Revolutionary Philadelphia. The church was the site of the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence and became the first Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Philadelphia (1810-38). Members of the Continental Congress officially attended services here four times from 1777 to 1781, and though not members of the congregation, both George Washington and John Adams worshiped here on a few occasions. Old St. Mary’s historical cemetery includes the remains of John Barry, Father of the American Navy, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ great-great-grandfather, Michael Bouvier (1792-1874).

The colorful gates and pillars at this Buddhist temple belie the fact that it’s actually housed in the former Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church (as well as the former Adath Shalom synagogue across the street). The temple’s bright exterior gates, adorned with traditional Khmer touches, stand out in the otherwise residential South Philly neighborhood.

On the corner of 21st and Christian streets in Philadelphia stands Shiloh Baptist Church, one of the last pieces of period architecture designed by the renowned Frank Furness. Shiloh’s members work to preserve the history and legacy of their institution and building and enact positive change for their surrounding community of Graduate Hospital. Services remain online as of April 2021.

This synagogue began its life as a Baptist church designed by one of early America’s foremost architects, Thomas U. Walter, who also drew the plans for the dome and House and Senate wings of the U.S. Capitol. Almost 200 years after the building’s construction, visitors still marvel at the National Historic Landmark.

The first service at St. Peter’s was held in 1761, and the church has been in continuous use ever since. William White was the first bishop of the American Episcopal Church and served as rector until his death at the age of 86 in 1836. Absalom Jones, enslaved by founding member Benjamin Wynkoop, attended services here. In 1792, after gaining his freedom and co-founding the Free African Society, Jones established the first African-American Episcopal Church. Bishop White ordained him in 1802. Built on land donated by the Penn family, the church was designed by Robert Smith. All services and events are virtual at this time.

Credited with writing the lyrics to some of gospel music’s most important hymns, including We Shall Overcome, Stand by Me, Leave It There, and We’ll Understand It By and By, Charles Albert Tindley founded Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in the 1920s. The historic building still houses the original 6,000-pipe organ. Services remain online as of April 2021.

This impressive Ukrainian Catholic cathedral calls Philly’s Poplar neighborhood home. Built in 1966 on the site of a former 1907 building, the current cathedral reflects authentic Byzantine architecture and is based on the Hagia Sofia (St. Sophia) Cathedral in Istanbul. Pope John Paul II visited in 1979. As of April 2021, guests can attend in-person services.

Residents and visitors are welcome at this recently completed Buddhist temple and monastery that showcases traditional Khmer architecture and is located on 238,000 acres of land just down the street from Bartram’s Garden. Call ahead at (215) 687-3861 to check hours before visiting.

Founded in 1882, Zion Baptist Church stands as one of Philadelphia’s most historic churches and congregations. Today, Zion holds an active faith-based and civic community who meet in its dramatic, stained-glass-wrapped sanctuary located on the corner of North Broad and Venango streets in North Philadelphia, though services remain online as of April 2021.