Associate Director of Ministry and Resident Minister Ken Webber envisions an invitation to “find God in all things” within the chapel of St. Ignatius and Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center.
Art installations and construction of the chapel are still in progress, but the intention is to have a minimalistic space for visitors to peacefully and spiritually reflect, according to Weber.
The chapel is a place for students to acknowledge their own central source of energy and to live within that center, Weber said.
Statues, ordered from Europe, are hand-made and intentionally designed for the space to reflect a relatable connection for students. Additional statues and art pieces are currently being made.
“The statuary has been selected to reflect the student population in its youth, curiosity, and desire for wholeness,” Weber said.
The statue of Mother Mary by Italian sculpture artist Bruno Walpoth is placed in an off-shoot room by herself. Her right palm is offered forward, her feet are crossed, and her left hand lays on top of her rounded belly.
The intention was to depict her as a young pregnant woman who is in contemplation about her, often interpreted as “unplanned,” pregnancy. This representation is intended to relate to unexpected events in the lives of students, according to Weber.
“What we experience as troubling oftentimes can be God leading us through a frightening situation to an outcome that brings us closer to God, just as Mary’s divine pregnancy has,” he said, “Many events in the lives of students are unplanned. Like Mary’s, our invitation is to find God in all things, in all situations.”
In addition, a statue of St. Ignatius will be installed in the future in hopes to evoke an alike sentiment.
“The forthcoming statue of St. Ignatius will similarly depict him as a young person engaged in discernment about the best way to live his life,” Weber said.
Along with the statues, the building’s structure also has a specific thought-provoking meaning. The circular shape of the chapel aims to bond “one seamless community” according to Weber.
“Every seat and every place in the chapel suggests being included in the community and embraced by each other and the Holy Spirit.” he said.
He said the circle suggests continual movement, symbolizing the nature of life. The spherical element is not a perfect circle, for it is an oval-like shape in order to illustrate life’s unevenness and imperfection.
“We are always moving, always changing, and the circle acknowledges, embraces, and celebrates our movement, hopefully always toward fuller life in God.”
The chapel was made to be a place for students to meditate and relax in a spiritual environment, he said. In Loyola’s Catholic, Jesuit worldview, the closer people can get to a peaceful center the closer they are to god, he said.
“When we are more at peace in ourselves, our community is more at peace.”
Students may request to reserve the chapel for an event or meeting that includes a spiritual or faith component by emailing [email protected]. Until construction is complete, the chapel is unavailable in-between scheduled events.
