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Advocates of preserving Cambria City churches create online ?library?(Tribune-Democrat, The (Johnstown, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dec. 25--The effort to preserve Cambria City's historic churches is going high-tech. In addition to gathering material for a commemorative book and DVD, church advocates are building an online "library" dedicated to the rich history of the soon-to-be-merged houses of worship. And they are looking for help from those who know that history best: Parishioners and local residents. "We want to try and get people to bring things forward, and to see what material the churches might have," said Barbara Zaborowski, associate dean for learning resources at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. Under a plan announced earlier this month by Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese, three of Cambria City's churches will close by July: St. Columba, Immaculate Conception and SS. Casimir and Emerich. Two of the neighborhood's churches -- St. Stephen and St. Rochus -- will remain open as a new, consolidated parish. That has led to an all-out push to preserve the closing church buildings and to ensure, through extensive documentation, that future generations have a record of the five parishes. Zaborowski, who is involved with the volunteer Save Our Steeples group, already has begun compiling what she calls "the biographical life of the churches." That likely will include historical documents as well as oral histories from parishioners. Zaborowski also is hoping that, with the diocese's permission, she can create an exhaustive "photographic record" of each church. The research is not limited to the churches themselves. "I know a lot of the churches had schools, so we're looking for class pictures, anything like that," Zaborowski said. Working with a $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Zaborowski wants to pull the material together for a book and DVD. "It's going to be fantastic," said Marie Mock of Save Our Steeples. "There's a lot of information to get hold of." Historical materials also will appear on a new Web site labeled the Cambria City Churches Digital Library. The site already features some artifacts, including a 75th anniversary program flier for the former St. Emerich church, a document detailing St. Columba's architecture and a 125th anniversary commemorative book for Immaculate Conception. Documents submitted to Zaborowski can be digitized and then returned. She added that the Web site also serves as "a way that the community can see the progress that we're making." Anyone interested in participating in the project can reach Zaborowski at 262-6425 or via e-mail at [email protected]. "These churches have such a strong ethnic history, so that has to be captured," she said. To see more of The Tribune-Democrat or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tribune-democrat.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |