Ambridge Church Tour

   An Architectural and Historical Tour of Ambridge Churches

St. Mary's Byzantine, St. John Lutheran, and St. Mary's Coptic

St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church was built in 1963 and is of the Eastern tradition. They recently added a new icononstasis (a "screen" on the altar which symbolically separates the divine from the earthly), two exterior gold domes, and a carillon.  The church is adorned with four main icons: St. Nicholas, Christ, the Theotokos (God Bearer), Mother of God), and the Patronical icon of the Protection.  Of special interest is the baptistery, which was imported from Russia. 
St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church was consecrated in February, 2006 by Pope Shenouda III of the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.  St. Mary's is the only Coptic (Egyptian) church in the region. The icons that adorn the church came from Egypt and were set up by eight men who traveled with the icons from Egypt, and lived in the church for two weeks while completing the work.  The iconostasis, icons, and marble altar were all hand-carved and "written" in Egypt.

St. John's Lutheran at Old Economy
was completed in 1838 by the Harmony Society.  The church overlooks Old Economy Village, and is a registered historic landmark.  Designed in the neo-gothic tradition, the church has a 27 foot ceiling, and has many of the original furnishings from Harmonist times.  One item in particular is the Decker grand piano, built in 1879 and used in the Music Hall of Old Economy.  It was purchased by the church in 1919.
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