A Brief Introduction to St. Paul’s Church

The parish of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is steeped in history. The influential financier Jay Cooke joined with his neighbors, including Robert Shoemaker and others, to build a new church. The cornerstone was laid in September of 1860 and the Bishop of Pennsylvania consecrated the new church on May 16, 1861.

During the Civil War the Rector and congregation of St. Paul’s supported the 11,000 U.S. Colored troops at nearby Camp William Penn. The ladies of the church also ministered to the wounded at the battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam.

The parish of St. Paul’s takes pride in maintaining the heritage of buildings that grace our parish life, including the thirteen beautiful Tiffany windows in the sanctuary.

In our recent past, St. Paul’s has been greatly enriched and honored by parishioners of St. Matthias Church joining our congregation. St. Matthias closed its doors in 1996 and its sacred vessels were dedicated and incorporated into our communion service.

We embrace our past, and look to the future of St. Paul’s as a family of Christian peoples from diverse backgrounds and cultures, who come together to pray and care about one another. We strive to nurture our young people, and raise them up in the community of Christ. We gather spiritual strength from one another, and pray to continue to serve the community with the spirit and goodwill of our founders. We celebrate an 8:00 am Eucharist as well as a 10:15 am service on Sunday mornings.