Scottsdale, Arizona hosts many different types of places of worship, including churches, chapels, temples and a variety of synagogues. Both those living in Scottsdale and tourists are always welcome at the numerous regular church and synagogue services around town. Scottsdale’s community centers with religious affiliations welcome everyone, too.
According to Sperling’s BestPlaces, nearly 40 percent of Scottsdale’s residents affiliate with some form of religion. Catholicism accounts for the highest percentage, at 26 percent, followed by a wide range of Protestant faiths (just over 11 percent), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or Mormon (five percent), “other” (almost four percent) and Jewish (about two percent). Less than half a percent affiliate with an eastern faith or Islam.
If you’re interested in visiting historic churches, St. Mary’s Basilica in nearby Phoenix is the area’s oldest church. Built in 1881, St. Mary’s Basilica’s Spanish Revival architecture and spectacular stained glass window are renowned throughout the city. In addition, St. Mary’s is listed on the National Historic Register, and it is also a Phoenix Point of Pride.
Even if you’re not Catholic, it’s well worth a visit to Scottsdale’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. The original Adobe Mission was built in 1933 by volunteer Mexican men who lived in the neighborhood around Main and Brown Avenues; they worked nights and weekends to complete the 6,000-adobe-brick building. Tinsmith Bernabe Herrera designed and made the stained glass windows.
Also, Phoenix houses the historic sanctuary, religious school and social center that served the local Jewish community from 1922-1949. As an indication of the multi-cultural demographics of the area, the structures were later turned into both a Chinese-speaking and a Spanish-speaking Baptist church. In 2001 when the space was slated for destruction, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society rescued it and restored the synagogue and annex to their original condition.
