Aside from homes, abandoned churches may be the most prevalent type of abandoned building in the United States - but why is that? In this episode I'm joined by Matt Lambros, author/photographer of the After the Final Curtain book series, and we'll discuss why churches are closing in such staggering numbers. The answers may surprise you! We'll also look at the history of the Ascension of Our Lord Church in Philadelphia, which was the third largest parish in the city and is now a stripped out husk in a once prosperous area now known for being an open air drug market. What happened to the church and the neighborhood around it, and how does that reflect on other urban churches that are struggling? Finally, we'll explore some of the challenges reuse projects face and some of the outlandish new lives closed churches have found. 

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Photo Gallery of the Ascension of Our Lord Church in Philadelphia

Intro/Outro music credit: Rival Consoles