Kutztown Community Library offered the community a twist on an annual holiday tradition. This year’s Holiday Tour featured Kutztown churches.
“The library’s Holiday House Tour for last year was put on hold. Not wanting to miss a second year, it was necessary to get creative and it was decided to feature local churches,” said Jacqueline Sharayko, assistant director, Kutztown Community Library. “Their public spaces allow the social distancing that individual homes couldn’t provide.”
The Friends of the Library, a non-profit organization that raises money for the library to cover expenses not in the budget, spend months planning the fundraiser. Popular tour themes in the past have been Town, Gown & Country, Pathways through History, and the Kutztown Bicentennial. Started in 1992, the tour has featured 161 sites including 123 homes and 38 local businesses and churches.
Last year’s tour was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
This year, the Holiday Church Tour featured seven churches in Kutztown.
“(The Holiday Church Tour) was a great community event because it allowed local people to see the beauty in the town they live in,” said Sharayko.
Library Director Janet Yost said that while the turnout was not what they expected, “Everyone who came out enjoyed the tour.”
“One attendee stated that she passes by the churches everyday but this was an opportunity to peek inside,” said Sharayko. “This was a common theme.”
On the tour, attendees viewed St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran’s distinctively modern stained glass, St. Paul’s UCC’s oil painting featuring Jesus welcoming children to his side, St. John’s UCC’s original Keith Haring painting, Trinity Lutheran’s rose stained glass window, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church artwork created by parishioners, as well as Grace Church’s combination of historic and modern elements and the gothic architecture in Kutztown Bible Fellowship’s chapel.
“Many people commented on the gorgeous stained glass. A favorite on the tour was Kutztown Bible Fellowship Church which has a gothic feel to its decorative stone work and darker stained glass,” said Sharayko.
Two have special associations with the Kutztown Community Library’s benefactor Louisa Gonser who in 1941 bequeathed her home at 337 West Main Street for the first library in Kutztown.
The churches were decorated for Christmas.
“Many of the churches had fresh greenery and candles that awed the visitors,” she said. “There were refreshments including homemade cookies and hot chocolate at some stops.”
St. John’s Lutheran on Main Street had a bell choir playing Christmas carols and later the church hosted a concert.
“Several attendees said (the church tour) was more fun than a house tour because house tours can feel intrusive and often are very crowded,” said Sharayko. “Several people asked if we would consider doing a church tour again next year.”
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment