Chapel of the Holy Spirit
The first Orthodox Christian Community in Snyder County.
Services
Weekly worship takes place every Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday evening services (Great Vespers) take place at 6 p.m. with confessions following. Sunday morning services (Divine Liturgy) takes place at 10 a.m.
Take a look at our calendar below for more service information and events!
Visitors are always welcome. Please join us!
“The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended, and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.”
Location
The Chapel of the Holy Spirit is located in Beavertown on N. Kern St. directly off U.S. Highway 522.
Orthodoxy: Why Does “True Worship” Matter?
Orthodox Christians believe that a genuine faith requires true worship (cf. John 4:23-24). The word “Orthodox” itself means “true worship” (literally, “straight worship”).
Visiting for the First Time
Prayer is the essence of Orthodox Christian life, so one of the best ways to experience Orthodox Christianity is to attend a service.
About the Chapel
The Orthodox Chapel of the Holy Spirit is a community of Christians seeking to glorify God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its entirety to the people of the Central Susquehanna Valley and beyond.
In 2008, the Holy Trinity community in Centre County, seeing the need to ministry to people in Snyder County, established a monthly Vespers service with Bible study in Beavertown, PA for the growing number of people inquiring about Orthodox Christianity from Snyder County. Very quickly, these gatherings grew and moved to Sundays including prayer and teaching as more people began to inquire into Orthodoxy and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit community was established.
By 2014, the Snyder County community had outgrown its original meeting space so in conjunction with the community of Holy Trinity decided to build a small chapel in Beavertown, Snyder County. Archbishop Melchisedek led a cross-planting service for their new church building that year.
The groundbreaking took place in June of 2015, and the Archbishop returned to consecrate the completed chapel in October of that same year. While it continues as a ministry of Holy Trinity Church in State College, the Chapel hopes to apply for a Church Planting Grant in due course.
Events Calendar at the Chapel
Click on any item for a description and/or additional information. Beyond the current month, events should be considered tentative and subject to change.
News and Notes
Learn more about what is going on in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit community.
Come and see at the Selinsgrove Market Street Fair!
We will have a booth at the Selinsgove Market Street Fair on Saturday, September 25th from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. Come visit the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at the Fair! We will hand out free bottles of water for fairgoers and fellowship with anyone who wants to learn...
And So the Work Begins
Construction has begun on the Chapels Expansion. Take a look at the pictures from the ground breaking.
Hear the Readings of Holy Week
Beginning Palm Sunday (April 12) through Pascha (April 19), all the readings of Holy Week will be live-streamed every evening at 6 p.m. (Saturday’s Old Testament Readings, Epistle, and Gospel will be chanted at 9 a.m. on April 18.) Parishioners without a computer may...
About Orthodoxy
Orthodoxy: Why Does “True Worship” Matter?
Orthodox Christians believe that a genuine faith requires true worship (cf. John 4:23-24). The word “Orthodox” itself means “true worship” (literally, “straight worship”). Our Faith remains unaltered through its timeless liturgy. And because Truth is both a Person and the Unchanging God, Orthodox prayer engages all of one’s senses and offers an encounter with the Risen Jesus Christ Himself.
To worship correctly, one must live the same Faith that was given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles. The way this is done is to ensure His teachings are passed down without alteration or corruption from generation to generation. When any deviation or error comes in contact with this straight unbroken apostolic line, Orthodoxy remains true to its nature by exposing the “crooked lines” of false doctrine.
Therefore, if you want to discover what Orthodox Christians believe, the best way to learn is to experience how we pray. We invite you to learn more about our services and join us at a time convenient to you. Check our online calendar for the latest schedule.
Visiting for the First Time
Prayer is the essence of Orthodox Christian life, so one of the best ways to experience Orthodox Christianity is to attend a service. Holy Trinity’s worship schedule aims to incorporate as much as is possible the interweaving daily, weekly, and yearly cycles of the ancient, apostolic Church, complete with its many feasts, services, and Biblical readings. As noted author Frederica Mathewes-Green writes in an essay entitled “12 Things I Wish I’d Known…” before visiting an Orthodox church, Orthodox worship is different, and those differences can be perplexing to the newcomer.
Get a “Sneak Peek”
View a gallery from inside the Chapel here.
Potential visitors might find a guided church tour led by a member of our clergy to be beneficial as well. This is an excellent opportunity to become acclimated to the unique Orthodox worship setting and learn some of the theology behind Holy Trinity’s artwork and architecture. To arrange a tour, please contact us at info@holyspirit-oca.org.
Links for Inquirers
Looking for more information check out these links.
- Pilgrim at the Crossroads (A blog by our very own Evan Kerstetter)
- 12 Things To Know Before Your First Visit
- Welcome to the Orthodox Church videos
- A Timeline of Church History
- About the Divine Liturgy
- Ancient Faith Radio
- Get to Know the Original
- International Orthodox Christian Charities
- Orthodox Christian Fellowship
- Orthodox Christian Mission Center
- Prayers for Orthodox Christians
- Recommend Readings
- The Orthodox Church in America
- The Orthodox Faith
- ZOE for Life!
Rev. Priest
David Smith
Fr. David found Orthodoxy as an ordained Lutheran minister after 20 years of service. He was drawn to Orthodox Christianity because of his love of liturgical worship and the unchanging Orthodox Faith. Fr. David completed the St. Stephen’s Course of Studies. In 2013, Pastor David Smith was ordained to the diaconate and on June 18, 2016, Fr. David was ordained to the holy priesthood and was appointed Assistant Rector of Holy Trinity and Priest-in-Charge of the Chapel.
Would you like to contact
Fr. David?
Past Sermons
Read some of Fr. David’s past sermons.
Sunday of St Thomas (Antipascha 2022)
Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other Disciples therefore said unto him, ‘We have...
Palm Sunday (2022)
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from...
Lazarus Saturday (2022)
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “Then Jesus said unto them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’” Over the years, observers of our culture have noted that we have become...
Get In Touch
Call
(570)-600-2246
info@holyspirit-oca.org
Address
145 N. Kern St.
Beavertown, PA 17813
Hours
Divine Liturgy: Sunday at 10 a.m.
Great Vespers: Saturday at 6 p.m.
Office Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m