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.
Chapel Joins 100,000s in Defense of Life
Year after year every January hundreds of thousands come to the nation’s capital to give a voice to those who do not have one—the unborn. This year’s March for Life was historic, however, as for the first time ever, the sitting vice president appeared in-person....
Join us for an Advent Open House
Father David and Matushka Brenda Smith cordially invite you to an Advent open house at their residence (140 Old Orchard Dr., Beavertown) on December 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. Take some time out of your busy schedule to join the Chapel for fellowship and to relax during this...
Families Come Together for Sports, Food, and Fellowship
The Chapel of the Holy Spirit sponsored “Family Fun Night” last month at the Middlecreek Area Community Center, enabling the facility to remain open for extra hours on a Sunday night. The event was a huge success with 20 folks coming together. Hot dogs, snacks, and...
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”
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.
Image of Christ “Not-Made-by-Hands” 2020
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The face of God. That’s what this feast is about – the face of God, seeing the face of God, God revealing His face to us. If...
Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary 2020
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. On this Feast day of the Falling Asleep of our Lady and her Assumption into Heaven, we will not find this event in Sacred...
Glorification of St. Herman of Alaska 2020
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,...
Get In Touch
Call
(570)-541-2574
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