Thursday, March 8, 2012

Pennsylvania Magazine

Pennsylvania Magazine
March/April 2012

Book Reviews
by Publisher Al Holliday

Regional History
Framing Faith - Remembering 10 Catholic Churches

Ten Catholic churches have been closed in the Scranton Diocese in recent years. The author has written historical profiles of them with special notes about the Irish, German, Polish, Italian and Austrian ethnic origins of each. Ivana Pavelka worked with students in the local Arts Engage program to photograph special attributes of each site. The book serves to tell the story of immigrants and their descendants in our northeast area.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

FramingFaith.com named PA Live! & NEPABlogs.org's Blog of The Week



Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: http://pahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=220832

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Framing Faith ( http://framingfaith.blogspot.com/ ).

Population shifts and financial troubles have made parish consolidation a fact of life for many of the Catholic churches in the Diocese of Scranton. Parish consolidation has left churches that have been parts of the landscape of Northeastern Pennsylvania for a century or more empty, shuttered, dismantled - and in some cases, demolished.

Framing Faith is a blog that spotlights ten parish churches that were closed due to consolidation, and the communities that made up those parishes. It features excerpts and photos from the book of the same name. The images are stunning, and the stories heartbreaking; each parish was a creation of the community, a labor of love often by people of a particular ethnic group that reflected their particular customs and traditions. As the years have passed those ethnic identities have gradually eroded, and the closure of each parish and its associated church has slammed the door on some of those identities forever. Framing Faith provides one last look at these churches, and preserves the stories of the people who worshiped there.

Framing Faith was a project of the Lackawanna Historical Society. The text was written by Sarah Piccini and is accompanied by photos by Ivana Pavelka and four student photographers. The blog serves two functions: It is a promotional tie-in to the book of the same name, but it also serves as a stand-alone showcase of the images and stories that preserve the history of these now-closed churches.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Please vote for Sarah for Best Local Author



Please vote for Sarah Piccini in the Electric City Best Local Author 2011 poll at:

http://varsity570.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=39856

Voting ends Wednesday, November 23 at 11:59 p.m.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

PA Anthracite Heritage Museum book signing - October 23

Framing Faith book signing
with Sarah Piccini


Sunday, October 23, 2011
2 p.m.

PA Anthracite Heritage Museum
RD #1
McDade Park
Bald Mountain Road
Scranton, PA 18504

570-963-4804

AnthraciteMuseum.org

click here for more info

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

EBOOK GIVEAWAY in celebration of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf Blogoversary

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDZZMFNaSWtvYVBYVS1OUEJLeDVwUWc6MA and go to Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf blog at: http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/06/mbs-blogoversary-spotlight-4c-publisher.html

Giveaway of eBook Framing Faith - Three Winners
OPEN WORLDWIDE - ENDS JULY 15, 2011

Framing Faith: A Pictorial History of Communities of Faith by Sarah Piccini
with photography by Ivana Pavelka.


Framing Faith: A Pictorial History of Communities of FaithFraming Faith Synopsis:
Framing Faith tells the story of the faith of immigrants and their descendants, spotlighting ten Catholic churches in the Diocese of Scranton that were closed due to restructuring. The churches, SACRED HEART, MAYFIELD; ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, SCRANTON; ST. JOSEPH, SCRANTON; HOLY FAMILY, SCRANTON; ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, SCRANTON; ST. MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION, SCRANTON; ST. MARY CZESTOCHOWA, SCRANTON; ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, TAYLOR; IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, TAYLOR; AND ST. MICHAEL, OLD FORGE have rich ethnic heritages. They are Polish, Slovak, Italian, German, and Lithuanian parishes with long traditions and deep roots. Each church was founded by immigrant groups who came to the coal fields of the Lackawanna Valley with little more than their faith in God. Their churches served as the center of the community and touchstones of the Old Country. Framing Faith traces their histories from small beginnings through baptisms, weddings and funerals to their final celebrations. Throughout the text are images from each church, visual reminders of what was for many an important part of their lives.

Buy links

Monday, June 20, 2011

Abington Journal

Abington Journal
June 15, 2011

Book details 10 church closings in the diocese

“Framing Faith: A Pictorial History of Communities of Faith,” written by Sarah Piccini with photography by Ivana Pavelka and ARTS Engage!, tells the story of the faith of immigrants and their descendants, spotlighting 10 Catholic churches in the Diocese of Scranton that were closed due to restructuring.

The churches, Sacred Heart, Mayfield; St. Anthony Of Padua, Scranton; St. Joseph, Scranton; Holy Family, Scranton; St. John The Evangelist, Scranton; St. Mary Of The Assumption, Scranton; St. Mary Czestochowa, Scranton; St. John The Baptist, Taylor; Immaculate Conception, Taylor and St. Michael, Old Forge have rich ethnic heritages. They are Polish, Slovak, Italian, German and Lithuanian parishes with long traditions and deep roots. According to the author, each church was founded by immigrant groups who came to the coal fields of the Lackawanna Valley with little more than their faith in God. Their churches served as the center of the community and touchstones of the Old Country. Framing Faith traces their histories from small beginnings through baptisms, weddings and funerals to their final celebrations. Throughout the text are images from each church, visual reminders of what was for many an important part of their lives. Piccini graduated from The University of Scranton with a degree in History and Communications. In 2010, she received a Master’s degree in History focusing on the ethnic and labor history of the Lackawanna Valley. She collaborates with the Lackawanna Historical Society on many projects and programs, and serves the Vice President of the board for the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates.

Pavelka is a co-founder and co-manager of the photographic gallery Camerawork in Scranton and is a professional photographer who has had solo and group shows. “Framing Faith: A Pictorial History of Communities of Faith” is published by Tribute Books. For details, contact 570. 876.2416 or visit www.tribute-books.com