The Chapel of St. Ignatius and the Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center have been expected to bring a deeper sense of spirituality for the Loyola community.
Robbie Eleazer is the lead architect on the chapel project, which he said began before his two children were born.
“[The chapel] provides a spiritual anchor in the heart of the campus that will connect the diverse community together,” Eleazer said.
Theology professor Thomas Ryan said he believes the chapel will be a nice complement to the “lovely and more ornate Holy Name of Jesus Church on campus.”
Ryan also said the new chapel will allow for a more intimate setting for worship. When the chapel is completed, he said, it will offer more time for quiet prayer and meditation.
Student Nicole Bittner said she appreciates that the chapel stands out on campus.
“I like the fact that the chapel is separate from all the other buildings,” Bittner said. “It is easier to spot, and it shows students there is a community on campus and that they are happy you are here.”
Michael Chandler, Twomey student leader for the Canizaro Center for Catholic Studies, said he’s glad there’s a dedicated worship space for Catholic students on campus.
Dr. Mark Mossa said he had mixed feelings about the chapel, in particular its utility for confessions.
“I’m very excited about having the chapel, because we’ve been waiting a long time for it,” Mossa said. “However, as a priest, I can see that there are some things that could have been better thought out from a Church perspective.”
He said, for example, the space designated for confessions is not well suited for confessions. Hearing confessions have been and continue to be held elsewhere. But, overall, he is pleased and hopes people will temper their negative judgments until all the pieces are in place.
Despite some concerns, Mossa said he believes the chapel was a necessary addition to campus.
“Loyola has needed a dedicated Catholic chapel for a long time,” Mossa said. “It is an important statement of our Catholic identity, and its central location makes it a place that Loyola students can appreciate and enjoy every day and for years to come.”
Eleazer described the purpose of each room in the chapel:
“The centerpiece of the Chapel is the Sanctuary – it provides a dedicated home to the Chapel community for use in daily and weekend mass.
Complementing the Sanctuary, students will find the Community Gathering Space which can be flexibly used for lectures, events, and interfaith events.
The Multipurpose Room provides an intimate space for meeting, working, and quiet reflection.
The Prayer Room offers a space for students to come and enjoy a space designed for individual reflection and interfaith uses.
Lastly, we are very proud of the quality of the art and furnishings in the Chapel which we hope will support students through inspiration and beauty,” Eleazer said.
Eleazer said the architecture was “inspired by the cave that St. Ignatius meditated in during his transformative time at Manresa – the Chapel is constructed of interlocking circular rooms that evoke that sublime, natural, and introspective time of St. Ignatius,” he said. “The circular intersecting rooms create distinctive thresholds linking each space, a reference to the ‘vesica piscis’ symbol and the fundamental interface between the spiritual and physical worlds.”
Eleazer said he thinks the new chapel benefits the student body and student ministry. He said the chapel will gain some new features that elevate the worship experience.
“I hope the new chapel provides inspiring and practical spaces for students that feel like a welcoming addition to the campus,” Eleazer said. “We included a gradient of spaces that range from individual reflection, intimate meetings, medium sized community gatherings, and large scale worship.”
Upon its completion, students and faculty alike are looking forward to a new and complete worship space on campus to worship and fellowship together.
