Journey Through Faith Worship Destinations In America

By Jayne Rutledge


America is well-known as the land of flowing honey and milk where a lot people wanted to go. However, many of them are unaware about the wonderful and religious edifices that are scattered across the country. Here are the faith worship pilgrimage sites in the US.

An intricately carved temple situated just 30 minutes away from Chicago in Wilmette, Illinois is the Bahai House of Worship. This is the only kind of temple in the North American region which provides services to the Bahai faith members whose deep roots started from Persia during the 19th century. This circular temple exudes a white lace appearance with the mixture of quartz and cement surrounded by gardens with fountains.

Another well-known edifice where Catholics take refuge is the St. Patrick's Cathedral that can be found in the middle of the city of New York. Built in 1879, this Neo-Gothic inspired building exudes the glorious marbles in the outside and the colorful glass stained windows. Compared with the adjacent skyscrapers, this structure is not as grand but still people flocks here to offer their prayers or to simply admire the majestic scenery.

Meanwhile, the Hsi Lai Temple which is located in Hacienda Heights, California serves as the place of service for the Buddhist people. This temple reflects that 14th to 20th Chinese dynasty of Ming and Ch`ing even though this was erected just in 1988. The temple`s bird`s eye view signifies a bodhi leaf icon where Buddha was known to encounter enlightenment and the temple`s insides features Buddhist artifacts, ceramics, art galleries of both Eastern and Western era and photographs.

On the other hand, people of the Muslim faith flock to the 65,000-square-foot Islamic Center of America which is situated in Dearborn, Michigan. This mosque was opened in 2005 which provides services to almost 5,000 Arab-Muslim families. Inside the modern mosque are crystal chandeliers, Islamic decorated prayer room, imported granites and Quranic verses calligraphy with a distinct fiberglass dome and stone-carved edifice on the outside.

The Memorial Presby Church located in Saint Augustine, Florida provides a place of homage for the members of the Presbyterian faith. The church' founder - the tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler along with his family Mary, his wife; Jenny Louise Benedict, his daughter; and Marjorie, his granddaughter are all entombed inside the historical church. Its walls with wood carvings and its windows produced from stained glass resemble the European cathedrals.

The Temple Emanu-El situated in New York City is one of the largest Jewish temples all over the world. Standing majestically at 103 feet tall, 100 feet wide, and 175 feet long, this vibrant edifice has the capacity of 2,500 people. Once inside this grand building, one will be awed at the ceilings with is various paints and gilds, the more than 60 windows with stained glasses and the arches with glass mosaics and marbles.

There are still other historic religious sites in the country that people can visit to enrich their faith worship experience. After all, these religious sanctuaries provide inspirations to people from all walks of life even if they do not practice a faith. What a way indeed to combine faith and travel in the country flowing with milk and honey.




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