The narrow valley of Nesquehoning will be alive with the sounds of church happenings during the first Nesquehoning Historical Society Church Tour on Dec. 20.

The historical society has planned the event since the summer. The event, which will include church tours of seven churches in the borough, as well as the site of the former Sacred Heart Church, located along West High Street, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Participating churches are First Baptist Church, 157 W. Railroad St.; Meeds Memorial United Methodist Church, 126 W. Catawissa St.; St. Francis of Assisi, 140 W. Mill St.; St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, 9 W. Railroad St.; St. Mary's Byzantine Church, 141 W. High St.; The Shrine to St. Therese of Lisieux, 15 E. Garibaldi Ave., New Columbus section of Nesquehoning; and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2 E. Catawissa St.Lois Kuba of the historical society said ticketholders can visit the churches in any order. Approximately 15-minute tours will take place at each location every half-hour, beginning at 11 a.m.Parking will be available in the church parking lots or along the streets in the borough. Most churches are within walking distance of each other.Memorial booklets containing the history of all eight churches will be available to participants at the first church they visit.Meeds Memorial parishioners will also provide refreshments at their church throughout the tour.Kuba said the historical society hopes to have a successful event because the churches are the cornerstones of the town's history."This is what our parents and grandparents did," she said. "The men would work 12-hour shifts in the mines and then come home and work on constructing the churches."Sundays used to be spent for church and family. They made these for us, and the least we could do was remember them and our heritage. These churches are our best-kept treasures of the past," Kuba said.In the event of a blizzard, the snow day for the tours will be Dec. 27.Tickets can be purchased for a $10 donation until Dec. 18.To reserve a spot on the tours, call Kuba at 570-645-9656, Bill Gardiner at 570-669-6564, Mary Fox at 570-645-7500, or Helen Applegate at 570-669-9919.For more information on the Nesquehoning Historical Society, visit its Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/NesquehoningHistoricalSociety.