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Borough of Churches In northeastern Pennsylvania’s coal region, one town illustrates the vital economic and civic role of houses of worship.
Cities
The Social Order
On a recent afternoon, I stood on a narrow street dividing the parish cemeteries of McAdoo, a small borough outside Hazleton in northeastern Pennsylvania’s coal region. Chain-link fences neatly separate the plots, with Roman or Byzantine crosses marking the different ethnic and denominational allegiances. To the west past the graves of my paternal great-grandparents in St. Patrick’s Cemetery is a panoramic view of the beautiful spires and domes for which McAdoo became known as the “borough of churches.” Many of these congregations have since closed a sad trend that preceded the Covid-19 pandemic.