Founded in 1857: A Story of Integration and Resilience
St. Paul's Episcopal Church has stood at 248 Seneca Street in Harrisburg since 1857. In the late nineteenth century, under the steady leadership of the Rev. Leroy F. Baker, the congregation grew from 13 to 170 members. Today, St. Paul's is the only congregation in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania whose members are primarily of African descent, both North American and continental.
The parish has long carried a commitment to social justice. In 1956, at the onset of Civil Rights unrest, Rector Rev. Wayne M. Wagenseller warmly welcomed members of St. Gerald's, an African American congregation closed by Bishop Heistand as part of the diocese's effort to integrate. In 1989, the Rt. Rev. Benoni Y. Ogwal-Abwaug - Bishop Ben, who had come from Uganda - became rector and brought another facet of the parish's diversity, that of Harrisburg's African community. During his ministry St. Paul's called its first female priest, the Rev. Heidi Joos.
The Rev. Victor J. Thomas later led the parish through a season of growth, partnering with the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to launch the St. Barnabas youth program - the beginning of a long legacy of caring for children in the community.
Sunday Worship on Seneca Street
Sunday worship centers on the 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, offered in person in the sanctuary and streamed live on YouTube. The service follows the Episcopal Church's liturgical pattern. On the second Sunday of each month, those gathered are invited to come forward for healing prayers. Masks are encouraged but not required.
For those who cannot attend in person, the congregation continues to offer Sunday worship on Zoom, a practice that began during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Rev. Kate Harrigan and remains a way for homebound members to stay connected to the parish's life.
Sunday School for children meets during the 10:00 service.
Father Celal Kamran, Rector
The Rev. Father Celal J. Kamran serves as rector. A lifelong Episcopalian, Father Celal grew up attending The Falls Church Episcopal in Falls Church, Virginia. He graduated from Messiah University with a major in Biblical and Religious Studies and earned a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary. Before entering the priesthood, he volunteered as a local firefighter and made ice cream on a dairy farm.
Father Celal has served at Pohick Church and St. Luke's in Virginia. At seminary he worked for the Office of Multicultural Ministries and served as president of the Seminarians of Color Union. He is a member of the inaugural class of the Trinity Wall Street Fellows Program. He lives with his wife, Erin, and their dogs, Clifford and Rajah.
Music and the Sacred Arts
Fred Dade leads the congregation's musical life as Minister of Music and Sacred Arts. The parish also connects with the wider arts community of Harrisburg through the State Street Academy of Music and hosts A Taste of Jazz, an annual fundraising evening of music, food, and fellowship that benefits youth programs and health care ministries.
Justice, Outreach, and the Beloved Community
The parish's vision, written in Pentecost 2022, calls the congregation to respond faithfully to God's call to love, be merciful, and act justly, and to become the beloved community here in Harrisburg and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.
St. Paul's members have long been active in social justice work. Parishioners participated in the Greensboro sit-ins; served as the first African American high school teacher in the Philadelphia school system; led as the first person of color to serve as assistant commissioner for basic education in the Pennsylvania Department of Education; and broke the glass ceiling as the first African American and first woman to receive an MBA in accounting from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
Today the congregation participates in Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice, hosts the Bishop Nathan Baxter Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, and has issued A Call for United States Criminal Justice Epiphany in response to the murder of George Floyd.
Life Together Inside the Parish
Within the parish, the Altar Guild prepares the altar and elements for the weekly Eucharist and other special celebrations. The Men's Group gathers parish men to share faith, interests, and goals. The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) provides fellowship for the women of the parish throughout the year. Two scholars in residence, Dr. Emerson Powery and Dr. Meg Ramey, and Deacon Stuart "Stu" Scarborough round out the leadership team alongside wardens Karen Love (Senior Warden) and Marian Crosson (Junior Warden).
Giving and Getting Involved
Members support the parish's life and ministries through gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Financial gifts can be placed in the Sunday offering plate, mailed to the church, or given online. Pledges and donations sustain parish operations and enable the congregation's mission across the wider Harrisburg community.