Mission Statement
Our mission is to promote the spiritual well-being of those committed to the Greek Orthodox Faith and Traditions, and to reach out to all Orthodox Christians, converts, partners in inter-faith marriages and the un-churched Orthodox in the greater Rochester, New York area. The abiding purpose of the parish is to provide for full participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the church through worship, service, witnessing, and community fellowship. This parish provides an intimate, family-like worship environment.

Our Location
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit is located at 835 South Avenue in Rochester, New York. USA

Church Services
The Schedule for Sunday services is as follows:

Orthros 9:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

(During Summer Hours)
Orthros starts at 8:00 a.m., and the Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM

Children are encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy with their families through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. After Communion, the children proceed to Church School rooms with their teachers for regular catechetical instruction. A Fellowship Hour is held each Sunday after the Divine Liturgy.

Affiliation
Our parish belongs to the Diocese of Detroit under the spiritual direction of His Grace Bishop Nicholas, under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America under Archbishop Demetrios and the Patriachate of Constantinople under Patriarch Bartholomew.

Language
Our parishioners come from diverse ethnic, educational, and social backgrounds. Therefore, services are conducted predominantly in our common language of English, while retaining a modicum of Greek.

We welcome all persons interested in worshipping in the parish. Some ethnic backgrounds include Romanian, Serbian, Albanian, and Arabic to name a few. The Greek Orthodox ethos is preserved in the Byzantine hymnology and the liturgical life of the Church.

Catechism
Religious instruction and education are high priorities in our parish. Bible studies, religious outings, retreats and other activities are common occurrences for children and adults.

Church School
Our Church School is an effective means to enhance a child's Christian growth. It is the foremost desire of our Church School staff to instill a love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Church in each of our children. Our program offers an Orthodox curriculum founded on our treasured traditional teachings, the exemplary lives of the saints, and the hymns of the Church. We warmly welcome all youth, and encourage them to experience the depth of our faith through Church School.

Faith and Bible Study
A Faith and Bible Study group meets every other Monday under the leadership of Fr. Patrick. It focuses upon scripture and tradition in the Holy Orthodox Church. With about 40 individuals attending each session, the Study group allows for a deeper understanding of our faith through the study of Holy Scripture, Tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers. Fr. Patrick encourages questions and creates lively discussions. The group is open to everyone. See the Calendar for future dates.

Religious Education Seminar
A Religious Education Seminar is available in a small group format for those who have non-Orthodox spouses and/or those interested in learning more about the Church.

Greek Language School
Our Greek School aims to help our children of Greek heritage learn to speak, read and write the modern Greek language so that they can better appreciate the Greek culture and its contributions to Western civilization. There are currently three levels (grades) of instruction for children and one adult Greek language class. The focus of the instruction is on oral language skills.

Youth and Music Ministry
Our children are the future of Orthodoxy. We are very appreciative of Fr. Patrick's active involvement with our youth.

GOYA
Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA)  is for youth in grades 7-12. They meet once a month for an Orthodox religious lesson with Fr. Patrick, followed by a business meeting. Additional meetings are for service projects or for social events. The teenagers become leaders of the ministry with the assistance of Fr. Patrick and the advisors. The GOYAN'S demonstrate their active involvement in the Church community by volunteering to do such things as decorate, set up, serve, host, fund raise and clean for many events. GOYA thanks our community for its support as the GOYAN'S endeavor to remain steadfast to the Orthodox Faith both now and in the future.

JOY
Our JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) consists of youth in grades 2-6. We meet at least once a month to learn about our Orthodox Faith. At each meeting, Fr. Patrick first teaches the children a lesson. Sometimes we learn about the many celebrations in our Church's life. Afterwards, we do a project to take home that enhances the lesson and is used as a reminder of what we have learned. We discuss what we've learned from Fr. Patrick as we create. We also learn about outreach and try to do as much for our community as we can. Finally, and very importantly, we have fun. This consists of outings during the month, usually to places suggested by the children.

HOPE
Hellenic Orthodox Primary Enrichment (HOPE)  is our youth group for children in Pre-K through the 1st grade. Under the guidance of Fr. Patrick, we teach our little ones basic concepts of the Orthodox faith. Each meeting consists of a religious lesson, related hands-on activities and a fun craft project. More than a dozen children, always eager and enthusiastic, participate monthly. Our goal is to ensure that our children grow up with familiarity, understanding and appreciation for the Orthodox faith — the faith that will provide a firm foundation for their entire lives.

Greek Folk Dancing
To help celebrate and promote our Greek heritage and traditions, a Greek Folk Dancing group teaches basic Greek dancing skills to our young people. The group meets usually meets on Sundays after Church.

Orthodox Campus Fellowship (OCF)
The OCF is open to all individuals who attend colleges and universities in the Greater Rochester area. Meetings are held once a month and have been alternating between Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the University of Rochester (U of R). OCF members come not only from RIT and the U of R but from Nazareth College, SUNY Brockport and Monroe Community College (MCC) as well. The meetings have consisted of "Get Acquainted Sessions", discussions, lectures and sporting activities. Fr. Patrick is the OCF Chaplain, he is a member of the Campus Ministry programs at RIT and the U of R, and he holds regular office hours on the RIT campus each week in an effort to get to know the students. Students are encouraged to contact Fr. Patrick either by telephone or via E-mail.

Chanters
The Chanters assist the priest during Church services by singing the many hymns and responses from the Orthros (Matins), Vespers, and other services. Both Greek and English are used. The music is traditional Byzantine in style.

Acolytes
All young men, ages 7 and above, are invited to serve God in the Altar and assist Fr. Patrick during Liturgical services. We have had several instructional and social events with Fr. Patrick who provided inspirational and valuable information. Acolytes are divided into three groups which rotate for serving in the Altar each Sunday. Please contact the Church Office if you would like to serve God in the Altar and assist Fr. Patrick.

Choir
The Choir of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit is truly a family of singers who give of their time and talents to help beautify our Church services through their singing. The Choir consists of individuals of all ages, from 9th graders up through 'seasoned citizens'. The members work together, pray together, and have fun together, all for the Glory of God. Rehearsals are held every Wednesday evening from 7:30 - 9:00 PM at the Church. All that is needed in order to join the Choir is the interest in serving God and His Church through singing, the commitment to attend rehearsals and services regularly and on time, and the ability to carry a tune. One does not need to know how to read Greek, since all the music has English phonetics, or is done in English. The Divine Liturgy is chanted in English and Greek, with responses generally given in the same language as the priest is in. Members of the Choir are active in many aspects of our Church community as well as in the Mid- Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Choirs. The Choir was especially honored during the summer of 1996 when it was singled out from among all the Federation choirs as "The Most Active Choir", and was presented with a plaque by His Grace Bishop Maximos and the Choir Federation officials.

a cappella Choir
During the spring and summer of 1996, a new choral group was formed in an effort to assist the Chanters during the summer and on days when the regular Choir does not sing. The singing is generally in two parts, both Greek and English are used, and the chanting is done without any organ accompaniment (a cappella). This new choir group has been a wonderful addition in helping to enhance the prayerful atmosphere in Church.

Church Library
A basic mission of our parish is the spiritual growth of its members in the Orthodox faith. One important way that this mission can be fostered and supported is by making available the written Tradition of the Church. Soon after our parish received its Mission status, a Church Library was founded. It presently contains over 150 books in both Greek and English, through the generous donations of many parishioners and friends. Fr. Stephen Upson kindly provided Liturgical books and the Canons of the Church. Books are available on many different Orthodox topics, as well as the Greek language and history. All are welcome to browse the shelves and to borrow books. To borrow, please sign your name on the card found on the inside book jacket and leave the card in the box at the Library.