Centralia: Mine Fire and Marian Pilgrimage

Centralia brings together the history of an ongoing coal fire and a Ukrainian Catholic Marian pilgrimage. The Centralia mine fire has been burning in the abandoned underground workings of the Buck Mountain coal seam since May 1962. For travel planning, this means two distinct topics go hand in hand: the history of mining and a religious tradition that draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.

Mine Fire and Mining History

The fire is tied to a specific part of mining history: it is burning in abandoned underground workings of the Buck Mountain coal seam. May 1962 marks its beginning, while the ongoing fire extends the timeline into the present. The combination of a dated beginning and a fire that continues to burn makes the Centralia mine fire an ongoing part of the town’s history, not just a past event that has come to an end.

Its suspected origin should be distinguished from this: the fire is believed to have started through the deliberate, controlled burning of household waste in an abandoned open-pit mine. This explanation identifies a possible trigger; it is distinct from the information about the underground workings in which the fire is burning. This keeps the origin and subsequent course of the fire clear as two different aspects of Centralia’s history.

The Marian Pilgrimage in Centralia

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church is one of the few surviving buildings in Centralia. Hundreds of pilgrims gather at the church every year for the Marian pilgrimage. Thus, the town’s history and a recurring religious tradition come together at one of the few remaining buildings.

Centralia was designated a pilgrimage site in 2015. The community’s first official pilgrimage took place in August 2016. These dates mark two milestones in the pilgrimage’s history: the site’s designation and the first official pilgrimage. The pilgrimage includes the Divine Liturgy, the Moleben to the Mother of God, prayers for healing, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For travelers interested in Ukrainian Catholic religious practice, this variety is a concrete aspect of a trip to Centralia.

For many people whose ancestors once lived in Centralia and are buried in the adjacent cemetery, the pilgrimage is a homecoming. For these people, it connects the religious gathering with memories of family roots in the community. Thus, alongside its religious character, the pilgrimage also holds special meaning for people with ancestors from Centralia.

Centralia and Its Tourist Image

A 2006 assessment of tourism noted that Centralia’s tourism development depended to a large extent on cyberspace and digital images. This perspective, rooted in its time, adds a media dimension to the town’s history. Centralia’s topics have different time frames: the mine fire continues, the pilgrimage takes place every year, and the digital perspective relates to tourism development at the time. This makes it possible to understand the ongoing mining history, the religious tradition, and the historical role of digital images as distinct aspects of the town.

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