Question: What had green shag carpeting, currently houses relics of Jesuit saints, and received an extreme makeover?
Answer: The Student Chapel in College Hall
Built in 1905, the Student Chapel is one of the most cherished spaces on campus. Eight years ago it underwent a major restoration to recapture its original design.
An earlier renovation in the 1960s was an attempt to “update” the Chapel. At that time the original pews were literally thrown out of the windows and replaced with chairs from the dining hall. The chairs sat on green shag carpeting, with orange burlap draped over the original tin ceiling. Talk about radical change!
About 10 years ago plans to re-renovate the Chapel began again, this time to restore it to its original character. An original pew was salvaged and the fir plank flooring is the same one that worshippers tread upon 105 years ago. One of the most distinctive renovations to the Chapel introduced something new to the space: stained-glass windows. The beautifully crafted windows originally were installed in The Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Philadelphia. Created in 1925, the windows depict saints.
Other interesting, and in some cases little-known facts about the Chapel:
- Both the main altar and altar of repose have relics of Jesuit saints under their marble tops. Under the tabernacle and marble top of the altar of repose is a relic of St. Ignatius Loyola, and under the top of the main altar is a relic of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. The relics were gifts from a donor.
- The tabernacle is from the original Chapel’s high altar.
- The Stations of the Cross and crucifix were carved in Italy.
- A nook just inside the Chapel entrance houses a statue of Our Lady of Montserrat, created for Gonzaga in Catalonia, Spain. The statue was a gift from a benefactor.
The Chapel, which holds up to 300 people, hosts two daily Masses, a Sunday evening Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation Masses during the academic year, as well as wedding, baptismal and funeral celebrations all year long. Between scheduled activities, the Chapel serves as a quiet sanctuary where students, faculty and staff often come to pray and reflect.
A number of naming opportunities, starting at $10,000, are available in the Student Chapel, including windows, the altars, and other features. Donations to name a feature will be put towards the Mission and Ministry Endowment Fund.
Story by: Carol Bonino