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Get a Taste of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Get a taste of what Orthodox Christian Fellowship is all about–literally! All Penn State undergraduates and graduate students are invited to attend a free “welcome” dinner at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 25 at 212 Pasquerilla Center. We’ll have a sampling of take-out food from our favorite State College restaurants while we share the various events planned for the semester. Then we will walk to the Creamery afterwards. Bring a friend or roommate.

Sunday School Looking for Teachers

Our parish is growing and we need teachers! We would like to add an additional elementary class to provide better age-appropriate instruction for our children.  Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of the Sunday School staff, and if you are interested, contact Deacon Mark. There will be a teacher kick-off meeting for all new and returning teachers this Saturday (August 27) at 5 p.m. in the Parish Hall.

Welcome Back, Students!

Whether you are a new to Penn State this year or coming back after summer break, be sure to join us for worship at Holy Trinity and fellowship with OCF. All students are invited to attend a free “welcome back” dinner at 6pm on Thursday, August 25 at 212 Pasquerilla Center. We look forward to meeting you!

Look up Directions to Church or Request a Ride.
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Chapel Purchases Land in Beavertown

Through the grace of God and the faithful support of the members of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the purchase of the land at Walnut and Kern Streets in Beavertown was completed this morning, August 16!

Thank you to all who have supported this effort, spiritually and financially, and to those who continue to labor with us as we make our plans for the best possible use of this property.

Please include a prayer of thanksgiving for this blessing in your daily prayers. Thanks again for your efforts, past and present.

– Fr. Basil

Back-to-School Drive Continues Through August 21

Please remember our Back-to-School Drive. Some of the items requested are backpacks, Crayola crayons (24-pack or smaller), glue sticks, magic markers, wooden pencils, mechanical pencils & lead, dry-erase markers, and three- or five-subject and spiral notebooks. Monetary donations are also appreciated as we purchase any outstanding items for our 40+ sponsored children. Please bring your contributions to church by this Sunday, August 21. Thank you for your support of Matthew 25!

Annual Meeting Scheduled

The Parish Annual Meeting will occur on Sunday, November 13. The later date better accommodates our delegation to the 16th All-American Council: Fr. John, Fr. Basil, Dn. Alex, and Michael Stickles. The triennal sobor begins October 31 in Seattle.

2011 Back-to-School Drive Kicks Off

Please remember our Back-to-School Drive when shopping this week. Some of the items requested are backpacks, Crayola crayons (24-pack or smaller), glue sticks, magic markers, wooden pencils, mechanical pencils & lead, dry-erase markers, and three- or five-subject and spiral notebooks. Monetary donations are also appreciated as we purchase any outstanding items for our 40+ sponsored children. Please bring your contributions to church by this Sunday, August 21. Thank you for your support of Matthew 25!

 

Meteorologists Fail to Explain Descending Cloud on Place of the Lord’s Transfiguration

ISRAEL [via Interfax] – Science cannot explain a mystery of a cloud that every year descends on the Mount Tabor where, according to the Bible, the Transfiguration of the Lord took place.

According to Sergey Mirov, a participant in the research organized by the working group on miraculous signs at the Synodal Theological Commission, Russian and Israeli meteorologists concluded that fog cannot be generated in such dry air and temperature.

Mirov stressed that the “descending of the blessed cloud” takes place only in the territory of the Orthodox monastery. He said that during the Feast of the Transfiguration, the cloud appears above the cross of the church. It then grows and descends on believers, covering them and pouring life-giving moisture over them.

Mirov’s group also examined the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem with the help of modern, highly accurate equipment. The lead scientist, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences academician Pavel Florensky, found that the appearance of fire there is accompanied with a “powerful piezoelectrical phenomenon” similar to those that take place during thunderstorms. But since no storm was present at the time, “this event can be considered miraculous,” he believes.

Join Us at Newcomers’ Night

Mark your calendars!

Holy Trinity’s annual social for newcomers and anyone looking to learn more about the life of our parish community will take place Thursday, September 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. View full calendar.  This enjoyable and informal evening gives you an opportunity to interact with clergy, staff, and ministry leaders to discover the various outreach, educational, and fellowship activities taking place. Whether you’ve just joined Holy Trinity or been around for a long time, come and learn how you can get involved. Refreshments will be provided. Learn more about Holy Trinity’s ministries.

The True Beauty of Orthodox Architecture

by Fr. Basil Biberdorf

Designer Andrew Gould explains the intricacies of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Read more about the seminar at the St. Vladimir's Seminary website. (Photo credit: Deborah Belonick.)

At the end of June, a group of men from Holy Trinity went to a presentation on Orthodox architecture at the St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York. The presentation was led by Mr. Andrew Gould, an Orthodox designer of church buildings and furnishings. Learn more about Mr. Gould Attending in anticipation of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit’s building of a church in Snyder County, we went without knowing entirely what to expect.

Mr. Gould’s presentation was an extended virtual tour of Orthodox churches from antiquity to the modern day. There was no one shape or size that was more “right” than the others. Each one was a product of faith, history, and the needs of the community and place. Whether marble, masonry, stucco, or wood, each one reflected the best that the faithful could give. Mr. Gould showed the attention that was given even to the small details found in all of his examples: The idea that one would create a makeshift or patchwork structure just to get by was notably absent in all of them.

In listening to the presentation, I couldn’t help but recall the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness: “the children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done” (cf. Ex. 3:4-29).

In our time, we often marvel at the construction of Orthodox churches in the old world, and even those constructed decades ago here in North America. We wonder how we could ever hope to construct something similarly enduring and beautiful in this early 21st-century America. Land is ever more expensive, especially in areas with growing populations. Building materials cost more, too. The tradesmen and artisans who do the work must charge more today than they did “back then.” Numerous regulations lead to still more expense. The dollar signs overwhelm us.

In spite of this we must consider our own situation. We must also ask ourselves about our own family incomes relative to those of the faithful who built so many of the beautiful Orthodox churches, large and small, here in America in the past two centuries. How did they build while having so little in comparison, without an emperor or government to help, and lacking so many of our “essentials”?

Mr. Gould’s presentation led all of us to think about these things, but he cautioned that beauty need not be extravagant or excessively expensive. Rather, true beauty comes from a structure and adornment that reflect the genuine self-giving and care of a prayerful and believing Orthodox community. Our Chapel of the Holy Spirit will, of course, be considering all of this very soon. Our prayer should be that our hearts, like those of the Israelites, would be stirred for the proclamation of Christ’s Gospel in word and deed as well as beauty and grace.

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