Philadelphia Temple Welcomes VIP Visitors

Response to the new Philadelphia Mormon temple has been enthusiastic and effusive. The temple is currently going through an introductory period where anyone from the public can come and see certain parts of the holy building. This monthlong visiting time comes in advance of the temple’s official dedication in early September. And while many Philadelphians have come to tour the Latter Day Saints’ new edifice – the first in the state – a considerable number of community, government, and religious leaders have turned out to show their support as well.

The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple has welcomed several dignitaries along with public visitors during its first few weeks of visitation.

The temple is the 152nd Mormon temple in the world. It is expected to serve over 40,000 LDS church members coming from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. It was constructed with traditional colonial Philadelphia architecture in mind, giving the building a grand, anti-modern stateliness that Inga Saffron, Inquirer Architecture Critic, called “the most radical work of architecture built in Philadelphia in a half-century.” It features granite from Maine and interior stonework from Egypt and Italy. Glasswork and oil landscapes include landscapes traditionally associated with both Church and Philadelphia history, including the Susquehanna River and the Delaware River.

Catholic Archbishop Charles Caput has visited the church, and the August 5th article on CatholicPhilly.com was titled, “Welcoming the new neighbors.” Geographically, the new temple is situated just one block from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul — the biggest Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Also, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and a group of others who have worked with the conference visited the temple as well. Rabbi Noam E. Marans and local representatives from the American Jewish Committee came by, along with Dr. Ella Simmons, vice president of Seventh Day Adventists. And that’s to say nothing of the political leaders who have shown up: Former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams, Dr. Daniel Mark of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have all visited.