History

It all began with a meeting of a group of Orthodox Christians in October 1999 to establish a place for worship, under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.  It became a reality on Saturday, August 24, 2002, as the ground breaking ceremony was celebrated for the new church/social hall complex of Christ Our Savior Orthodox Church.

Our first service was held in November 1999, at a small rented building along Tanoma Road, Indiana, PA.  After several months, we were able to move to another larger facility on the same property which provided us with enough room for a church, a social hall, and classrooms. This helped us to establish and consolidate our parish community.

Finally our quest for a permanent facility  became a reality.  After some searching we found 9.6 acres of land located at Route 286 East and Tanoma Road that proved to be an excellent site. On June 15, 2003, by God's grace and blessings, we held our first service in our new facility.

The Church, facing east, is about 90 ft. x 100 ft.  The social hall is 100 ft. x 50 ft. wide.  Above the foyer/entrance, drawing both buildings together, is a large Russian-style cupola (dome), surmounted by a large Slavic cross.

The west wall of the Church is of glass, as are the church doors.  The church ceiling is fairly low, and the iconostasis was constructed and placed to fit this style, along with the chandeliers.  Above the High Place in the sanctuary, is a large circular icon-window of Christ Our Savior, true Light of the world.  Below that, is a rectangular window depicting the glorified Cross.  

The windows along the north and south sides of the Church contain ancient Christian symbols.  The choir/cantor area is alongside the north wall of the Church, widened for this purpose.  Except for the sanctuary everything is on one level. There are no steps. From the very start, much of the work was done by our parishioners.  

Having been so abundantly blessed and sustained by Christ our Savior, the parishioners chose this name for the community.  The background of the community is predominantly Carpatho-Russian, reflected, for example, in the type and construction of the altar, and the liturgical customs, chant and music.  The services are in English, with just a touch of the old language on some major feasts. 

We believe that the Holy Orthodox Church was directly and personally established by Jesus Christ, and that it is the very same Church described in the New Testament.  We also believe in the unbroken Tradition of faith, worship, sacramental and spiritual life transmitted by Christ and the Apostles in the Church. We further believe that the ongoing life and experience of the Church (the people of God) flows from the apostolic source, and is nourished by divine grace.  We believe that this is the Church which will remain as the witness to God's plan of salvation, awaiting the glorious Coming of Christ our Savior.

Visitors are welcome. Come and explore the historic and dynamic Orthodox faith!

Banner Photo by Anastassia Anufrieva on Unsplash