The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church stands on a hill above what remains of Centralia, Pennsylvania. The small, white building and its bright blue dome might be unremarkable in another town, but the Primate of the world-wide Ukrainian Catholic Church, Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, was so moved when he visited in November 2015 that he designated the church a holy site of pilgrimage.
Many smaller cities and towns across Pennsylvania have faced shrinking populations over the last few decades, but Centralia is an extreme example. The borough was largely evacuated in the 1980s because an out-of-control, underground coal fire was threatening the health and safety of residents. Today, only about a half dozen people live in the town, down from 1,000 in the 1950s.
Keystone Crossroads is a statewide public media initiative reporting on the challenges facing Pennsylvania's cities. WPSU is a participating station.