Keeping the Faith In the Valley

November 23, 9:10 AMPhoenix Travel ExaminerJay Hammond

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Sunday mornings always bring church to mind. But ask someone on the street where the closest church is and you discover few know. 

Surprisingly, in a state where more than two-thirds of the population follows a Christian tradition of some flavor, the Sunday morning air is not filled with church bells calling the faithful to worship. That's probably because 39 percent of Arizonans, regardless of religious affiliation, seldom or never attend services, according to the U.S. Religious Landscape survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

That doesn't mean Arizona or the Phoenix metropolitan area does not have a strong religious history or a vibrant religious life.

One quarter of Arizonans are Catholic. The Diocese of Phoenix 92 parishes serving a registered population of 551,721 individuals in more than 175,000 households. From St. Mary's Church, built in 1881 making it the oldest Catholic Church in Phoenix to the St. Peregrine Chapel, a chapel and shrine devoted to people affected by cancer whose groundbreaking ceremony was held November 15, 2008, there are numerous opportunities for visitors and residents to celebrate their faith throughout the Valley.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or Mormons also have a noticeable presence in Phoenix, especially in the East Valley. The Arizona Temple in Mesa boasts beautiful gardens and a visitor's center. Their Christmas lights display is among the most popular and largest in the area.

Phoenix is also home to the Arizona Buddhist Temple which is affiliated with the Buddhist Churches of America and Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto, Japan. Established in the mid-1930's the current temple building was built in 1961 after an accidental fire destroyed the original one. The Arizona International Buddhist Meditation Center in Mesa celebrated it's grand opening in November as well. Only 1 percent of Arizonans are Buddhist.

Another 1 percent of Arizonans are Jewish and more than 10 temples serve their worship needs. The Valley has also recently hosted events and speeches from 2 Holocaust survivors. A free Thanksgiving Torah-learning program, “Thanking the Jewish Way” is being held Thursday, Nov. 27 at the Phoenix Community Kollel. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.

Although less than 1 percent of Arizonans follow the teachings of Allah, there are 10 mosques serving their needs in the greater Phoenix area. The most recent addition, the Islamic Center of the East Valley (ICEV) Masjid, opened on August 29. 

The Phoenix area may look homogeneous with all the pastel colored houses making it difficult to tell what suburb or street you are on. Beneath the surface, however, is a vibrant and diverse community built on many religious and cultural traditions.