While the South Side maybe known for its bar crawls, this Sunday it will also be the site of the second annual church crawl. Nine churches from South Side’s faith community will offer free, guided tours of their buildings to anyone interested in learning about each church's history, artwork and faith.
Sharon Sobol, the event organizer, said South Side residents have a strong connection with their churches.
“The churches themselves are all historical,” Sobol said. “They have a deep history and ethnical background here in South Side, with their beginnings going back to far beyond even the steel mills.”
Holy Assumption of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church and the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community are new additions to the touring list from 2015. Sobol said she thinks the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community building will be a top attraction for people because of the structure’s history as a slaughter house for a meat packing company.
She said part of the goal is to highlight that the South Side isn't just a drinking destination.
“This was something that we thought might be a nice part of South Side and a nice opportunity for the churches because they are so active here,” Sobol said. “But sometimes that’s overshadowed with all the other activities in South Side.”
With more than 400 attendees at last year’s crawl, Sobol expects similarly-sized crowd on Sunday.
This year’s event will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The tour has no formal direction and participants can to begin at any of the churches.
More information can be found on the Prince of Peace Parish and the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church websites.
