Diocese: Diocese of New York and New Jersey
Deanery: New Jersey Deanery
Address
Murray-Dodge Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey 08544
Website: princetonoca.org
Parish Contacts
Pennington, NJ 08540
Lay Leadership
Directions
General Location
The Orthodox Chapel of the Transfiguration holds services on Princeton University Campus on the first floor of Murray-Dodge Hall. Murray-Dodge Hall, which is located in the heart of the campus, near Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, Firestone Library, and McCormack Art Museum.
From the north
Take New Jersey Turnpike south to exit 9 (Rt 18) to Rt 1. Take Rt 1 south into Princeton. Make a right onto Washington Rd. Make a left onto Nassau St (Rt 27). Find parking anywhere along Nassau St. Enter campus either from Nassau St (across Tulane) or from Washington Rd (opposite William). Murray Dodge Hall is a small red-stone building just off the steps of the main University Chapel, which, along with Firestone Library, dominates this part of the campus.
from the south
Take New Jersey Turnpike north to exit 4, Rt 195 west. Follow signs for Trenton. Take exit for 129. Follow 129 onto Rt 1 north. From Rt 1 north take exit for Alexander Rd (just after Carnegie Center). This takes you over Rt 1. Make right onto University Pl. Make a right onto Nassau St (Rt 27). Find parking anywhere along Nassau St. Enter campus either from Nassau St (across Tulane) or from Washington Rd (opposite William). Murray Dodge Hall is a small red-stone building just off the steps of the main University Chapel, which, along with Firestone Library, dominates this part of the campus.
by train
Take Amtrak or New Jersey Transit trains to Princeton Junction. Transfer to the “Dinky” which takes you into Princeton. The Dinky drops you off at University Place. Continue up the road to an archway. Walk through the campus (a series of courtyards and archways) until you reach the main University Chapel. Murray-Dodge Hall will be on the right once the main chapel is in sight.
Schedule of Services
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy (During the Academic year [September through June]).
Sunday Morning
Aside from Sunday Liturgy, services are held during the Christmas holy days, Epiphany Eve, Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha. For a complete list of upcoming services, please visit the Monthly Calendar on the parish website.
Parish Background
In the early 1960’s a group of five Princeton Undergraduates formed the Orthodox Christian Fellowship of St Photios on the University campus. This initial group would meet informally and would travel to local Orthodox parishes on Sunday mornings. An occasional service would be held on the campus by visiting clergy.
September, 1964 marked the first Orthodox Liturgy held on a regular basis on the campus, with a room in Murray Dodge Hall serving as the Orthodox Chapel of the Transfiguration. The Rt Rev Constantine Buketoff, recently retired from his parish in Brooklyn, served as the first pastor of the Chapel, but illness curtailed his service before the Academic year ended.
In August, 1965, Prof. John Turkevich, (Higgins Professor of Chemistry at Princeton) was ordained and appointed Orthodox Chaplain. He served in that post for 24 years until January 1989. During the chaplaincy of Fr John, the Chapel and the OCF welcomed a host of Orthodox prelates, dignitaries, and faithful from around the globe. On several occasions the OCF sponsored services which filled the University Chapel to its capacity of 2,000. For more than a decade Fr Georges Florovsky, the eminent Orthodox theologian, participated in OCF chapel services; Biblical scholar Georges Barrois also counted the Chapel as his Spiritual home. OCF sponsored lectures and guests have included Nicholas Zernov, Fr John Meyendorff, Fr Thomas Hopko, Bishop Kallistos (Timothy Ware), and Bishop Irineu of Cluj, Romania.
Transfiguration Chapel serves not only the Princeton OCF undergratuate and graduate students, but also the local Orthodox faculty and townsfolk. The congregation has included members from various ethnic Orthodox groups: Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Albanian, Romanian, and Antiochian. The Sunday Divine Liturgy, celebrated each week at 10:00 am during the academic year, is served almost entirely in English, with responses sung by a four-part choir. The present Orthodox Chaplain, Rev Daniel Skvir ‘66, one of the original founders of the OCF, has served since January, 1989. (Other founders of the Princeton Orthodox Felowship entered the Priesthood: the Very Rev Arthur Liolin of the Albanian Orthodox Church and Rev Anatole Lyovin).
Aside from Sunday Liturgy, services are held during the Christmas holy days, Epiphany eve, Great Lent, and Holy Week. All services are open to Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike; visitors and new members are welcome to join the Princeton Orthodox community. All inquiries should be directed to Fr Daniel at the above address.