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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Former members and friends can get a tour of the meticulously renovated and repurposed Memorial Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 5, King&#8217;s College announced Tuesday.</p><p>Built in 1872 to commemorate the death of three children of Calvin Wadhams. The youngsters succumbed to scarlet fever, and were memorialized in striking &#8212; and now fully restored &#8212; stained glass windows on one side of the nave. The three are portrayed accompanied by angels.</p><p>King&#8217;s bought the church in 2011 and took considerable time before deciding to renovate it into the new Chapel of Christ the King at the George &amp; Giovita Maffei Family Commons. In April, as work progressed on the building, The Rev. Thomas Looney floated the idea of inviting former members to see their church once again. That offer became official this week.</p><p>In a news release, the college invited former members and friends &#8220;for a tour, prayer service and reception&#8221; Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. &#8220;The event will honor the legacy and history of the Memorial Presbyterian Church and celebrate the Church&#8217;s renovation and restoration as a house of worship.&#8221;</p><p>All work was done with an eye of preserving the historic look while choosing additions that complement that history. The wood floors, chestnut wainscotting and stained glass windows have been restored, while the apse was tiled. The original pews were sold when the church closed, but King&#8217;s replaced them with a new set obtained from a church in Massachusetts. Other original furniture in the church has been restored.</p><p>King&#8217;s plans called for making a large altar carved out of coal the new main altar, and the college commissioned two life size icons of religious figures central to the school&#8217;s history and mission: Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross which established King&#8217;s, and Our Lady of Sorrows (Mary, the Mother of Jesus) one of three patrons of the Congregation.</p><p>The worship space will be consecrated at a ceremony later in September.</p><p>The renovations included construction of new restrooms, some office space, and a conference room next to the existing building</p><p>Those who wish to attend the Sept. 5 tour and service should call the King&#8217;s College Office of Campus Ministry at 570-208-5836 to make the school aware of their attendance and to get information on parking.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Former members of Memorial Presbyterian invited to tour renovated church