The Hills Are Alight By Adele Evans Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, March 22, 2000

The rotunda of Scranton's Nativity of Our Lord church. Photo by Robert Evans

We'd come to see Steamtown National Historic Site with all of its fantastic locomotives -- but as we descended into the city, something else caught my eye, and wound up making me eat 5,000 calories worth of words about Scranton. Spires, onion domes, cupolas and bell towers -- dozens of them broke the grim horizon. Some of them were gothic, some Byzantine, some Polish, some Russian Orthodox. Through the towers, and later through the doors of those churches, I discovered Scranton was a true jewel box with a brick and stone exterior.

The names of these churches were as mysterious and exotic to me as the onion domes. St. Vladimir, St. Tikhon, St. Stanislaus, St. Mary Byzantine . . . some sounded musical, like "Our Lady of the Snows."

I peeked into one ceremony at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Catholic Church downtown. A priest was singing Mass in Russian. The vivid blue and gold iconography of the sanctuary combined with the scent of incense, adding to the mystery and majesty of the experience.

I attended Mass in St. Peter's Cathedral -- a solid brick structure with two bell towers. I felt as if I'd walked into Rome, or maybe Heaven's waiting room. Painting after painting, saint after saint, disciple after disciple adorned the soaring walls (half taken from Old, half New Testaments). The vaulted ceiling was painted with pictures depicting the seven sacraments, plus one musical scene for the vault above the choir. The ivory tones of the church glowed.

Scranton had become Little Europe. A true pilgrimage.

Another star in the crown is St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, whose parishioners originally came from Austria-Hungary. Along with its ornate Byzantine-Romanesque bell towers and shining mosaics, the church features a sanctuary ablaze with icons, including the "Pantokrator," the main icon in a Byzantine church, representing Christ as He is now, the head of the church. Handcrafted by a Ukrainian iconographer, St. Mary's icons are believed to be actual windows into eternity, an ancient form of theology in special egg-tempura paint and wood.

"It's religion in painted form. It's the doctrine and history of our faith," said the Rev. Francis Twardzik, the pastor better known as Father Frank. "The soul needs spiritual sustainment. When you enter here, the soul says, 'Ah . . . I like being here.' You're in fresh, divine air."

"Statues are three-dimensional. They are reality here on Earth," he said. "After a while they don't inspire. An icon brings you back again, again, again."

Nearby churches hang massive chandeliers over the altar -- another Eastern tradition symbolizing the glory and light of the Resurrection. The famous and massive St. Ann's Basilica, perched atop one of Scranton's many hills, is now part of a pilgrimage made by thousands each year, having been named a national shrine. Its stone grotto of candles is peaceful and unusual.

Many of the jewels are hidden, like St. Mary of the Assumption's quiet cloister, or the golden onion dome of Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church, which pops up like sun out of a cloud.

Secluded among south side row houses is the Nativity of Our Lord. Heavy wooden doors open into an ornately painted rotunda, vaults and gothic arches, stained glass and an ornate marble altar with a reproduction of a Raphael masterpiece -- all meant to make parishioners feel they're a part of Heaven's kingdom, not just watching Heaven's VIPs. Priests sometimes pass out binoculars so visitors can examine the rotunda without getting dizzy.

The reason for the variety in styles is that half of Scranton's 240 Catholic churches are "national" churches, with sermons in languages dominant in the neighborhood. Scranton's rich immigration history is rooted in coal; mining attracted settlers from numerous immigrant groups, including Lithuanian, Slovak, Magyar, Italian, Polish, Russian, Irish, German and others, all of whom built churches that served as a key point in the "faith-family-friends" triangle.

"It reflects the yearnings of people for their homelands," said Monsignor Joseph Quinn of St. Peter's Cathedral, which itself began with a heavy Irish population.

"This is my life," said Rosemary Boland, lifelong Scranton resident and Nativity parishioner. "My church got me through lots of rough times. It gets me through every day. Religion was bred into us growing up."

Others have shown the same devotion. In 1934, during the depths of the Depression, many of Nativity's parishioners, with nothing else to give, melted their wedding rings to make one chalice.

Though there have been movements away from "art overload," Father Frank and others say the art in their churches isn't excessive.

"Jesus deserves at least the equivalent of Queen Elizabeth. You don't put his blood into a paper cup," he said.

One hurdle for these churches is Scranton's population decline -- down to about 70,000 from a high of 155,000. Whether these churches will survive or fall into disrepair is becoming an issue.

"We try not to close them, but try to let the local areas decide," Quinn said.

GETTING THERE: Scranton is about five hours from the Beltway. Take I-95 to I-695 to I-83, all of them north. I-83 eventually turns into I-81, which you follow to an exit (left) for the Central Scranton Expressway.

BEING THERE: For a church tour, start downtown at St. Peter's Cathedral (570-344-7231) on Wyoming Avenue and follow the domes and spires. Most churches are only open Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings -- due to vandalism and insurance issues. Scranton also has a rich mining history, dominated by coal, railroads and industry. Steamtown National Historic Site is the only national park dedicated to railroading history (570-340-5200). The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum features the stark realities of coal-mining life (570-963-4804), and the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour allows visitors to explore the miner's world 300 feet below the earth. McDade Park, the Lackawanna County Stadium and Montage Mountain Resort (570 969-7669) offer sports events, swimming, skiing, walking paths and fishing.

WHERE TO EAT: The Radisson (see Where to Stay) is one of the city's most beautiful buildings and offers fine dining and a fantastic Sunday brunch at Carmen's, with everything from salmon to over-stuffed cannoli. Cooper's Seafood House & Ship's Pub (570-346-6883) offers an array of seafood -- and President Clinton looks pleased, judging by the pictures of his visit. Farley's (570-346-3000) is one of Scranton's premier steak and seafood houses, serving certified Angus beef. W.T. Hackett's Brewing Co. (570-961-5600) is a tribute to the Lackawanna Valley's beermaking history, with an 1890s theme.

WHERE TO STAY: The Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel (570-342-8300, doubles start at $89) is a beautifully renovated railroad station, with an atrium lobby, 145 rooms and 11 suites. Weekend packages are often available. The Inn at Nichols Village (1-800-642-2215, doubles start at $89) offers a garden setting, dining, indoor pool and dancing. Most chains have facilities in Scranton, including Hampton Inn at Montage near both downtown and Montage Ski Resort (1-800-426-7866, doubles start at $86), Comfort Suites (570-347-1551, doubles start at $88) and Courtyard by Marriott (570-969-2100, doubles start at $74). Among many B&Bs and country inns, a favorite is Blueberry Mountain Inn (570-646-7144, doubles start at $90) in Blakeslee, with six rooms and a suite.

DETAILS: Northwest Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-229-3526, www.visitnepa.org. For fishing information, visit www.fishingpa.com.

The results of "Escapes Trivia" Contest #3:

Those early Virginians had a lot on their minds -- surviving freezing winters and rainless summers, that sort of thing -- so no one really blames them for not spending a lot of time naming their mountains. Or measuring them. Chosen at random from among those who sent in correct entries, John F. Belz of Arlington knew that it was Sharp Top Mountain, one of the three Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway, that was originally thought to tower some 5,000 feet above sea level (thus a stone from its summit was contributed to the capital's own Washington Monument). Turns out Sharp Top is only 3,875 feet high; the commonwealth's highest peak is Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet in southwestern Virginia. Belz, who says he hiked Sharp Top with his wife not long ago, gets a copy of The Post's "Escape Plans" getaway guide. And the names of this week's losers -- many of whom thought the mistaken honor went to Sharp Top's neighboring peak, Flat Top -- will go into a special drawing for the exclusive right to name the next mountain discovered in Virginia.

What? All named already? This would be a good time to hop over to another high place, then, for Escapes Trivia Contest #4:

Besides honoring a president, this stony perch served as a signal tower in two battles of the Civil War. Climb to the top and you'll have a bird's eye view of four states. Where are you?

Deadline for Contest #4 entries is Monday, March 27, at 10 a.m. Send entries by email (escapist@washpost.com; put the word "Escapes Trivia" in the subject field), fax (202-334-1069) or U.S. mail (Escapes Trivia, Washington Post Travel section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071). Winners, chosen at random from among correct entries, receive a copy of The Post's "Escape Plans" getaway guide, or other prizes to be announced. One entry per person per contest. Employees of The Washington Post are ineligible to win prizes. Entries become the property of The Post, which reserves the right to edit, distribute or republish them, including electronically.