Good Samaritan’s roots can be traced back to 1870, when the little village of Paoli was comprised of a railroad station, a general store, a few scattered cottages, and the Paoli Inn, which became a gathering place for Sunday morning services.
In 1876, a generous parishioner donated half an acre of ground on the south side of Lancaster Turnpike on which to build a chapel. It was to be a copy of a village church in southern England, and was called The Church of the Good Samaritan.
Moving into the 20th century, a larger parish became a major need and $20,000 was raised for this purpose. Ground was broken in 1950, and completed and dedicated to Rev. Horace Andrews Walton in 1951.
By 1956, the expanded church was already groaning with a need for greater space; substantial funds were raised through a concentrated parish campaign, and on March 17, 1957, ground was broken for the new church placed squarely in the middle of the 16-acre tract. This new church was dedicated on Easter Sunday in 1958, by the Rt Rev’d Oliver J. Hart, DD, STD, Bishop of Pennsylvania.
This small look at the early history of the Church of the Good Samaritan does not capture the many loving, devoted, nurturing, dedicated parishioners over the years who, by the leading of The Holy Spirit, guided and directed these changes.
The Church of the Good Samaritan Today
The church today stands on approximately 15 acres, in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, on US Route 30 in Paoli. In 2003, the “Keep the Light Burning Bright” capital campaign was launched, with pledges totaling 9.3 million dollars.
Construction of the Ministry Center and Sanctuary renovations began on November 21, 2004, and was completed in December 2007. Increased seating, new AV equipment, ADA accessibility, expanded altar, and an intercessory prayer corner were all part of the design for the sanctuary.
A connector between the Education Building and the Sanctuary became a light-filled atrium, perfect for a welcoming, gathering center. As part of the capital campaign, the first ten percent of money raised was given to provide funding for construction projects in approximately twenty needy parishes, dioceses, and programs throughout the world. This amount of $859,000 made a significant impact in the lives of others who proclaim the Good News in India, Jerusalem, Uganda, West Philadelphia, and elsewhere.
What brought Good Samaritan to need this expanded space? In the early 1970s, a newly installed Rector, Fr. Dan Sullivan, a man of contagious vision and conviction, recognized that evangelism begins only with the leading of the Holy Spirit. This led to a first “Faith Alive Weekend,” and an awakening and deepening faith of parishioners, a spirit that has infused our congregational life for the last 50 years. Home Groups and Bible studies gathered and grew. Prayer Circles and Healing ministries flourished. The Youth Group led us to local outreach and international missions, including a relationship with the Lakota people in North Dakota.
In 1997, Fr Greg Brewer became rector of Good Samaritan, and fostered new relationships with urban parishes in Philadelphia and Coatesville and deepened our connections in Africa and South America. Fr Richard Morgan followed Greg Brewer in 2012, and oversaw the church through the challenges of the COVID pandemic.
The campus of The Church of the Good Samaritan today includes a large church, the original chapel, an office-education complex, and two sizable rectories. A large cemetery is located behind the church. On the southwest corner of our campus, a memorial field is used for community recreational activities. And above it all, the cross of Jesus stands atop our church to remind us of whose we are, and why we worship.