Our Lady’s Chapel was originally a storage room located off the west side of the Kennedy Room in the basement of the Main Church. In the late 1960’s, this space was converted into a Science Lab for the upper grade students of St. John the Evangelist School. The energy crisis of the 1970’s was the motivation to find a smaller space to hold daily Mass. A group of parish volunteers helped transform the science lab into Our Lady’s Chapel. 

Parishioners and friends physically raised and built the structure and provided decorative finishing touches, including the altar, a niche for Our Lady’s statue along with a complimentary Holy Family statue, a Tabernacle on a separate pillar and the 14 stations for the Cross. The Chapel was completed in 1980 and provided a sacred space for daily Mass and special liturgical uses for small groups.

In 2006, then pastor Msgr. William English initiated the availability of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Our Lady’s Chapel. Parishioners and other neighboring Catholic visitors have spent tens of thousands of hours visiting, praying and worshiping the Real Presence of Jesus in our humble parish chapel. For the past 13 years, the Chapel has been open for continuous 24-hour prayer and adoration. This ministry remains a beautiful channel of consolation, grace and inspiration for parishioners and visitors to spend quiet time with Our Lord under the guiding influence and gaze of Our Lady.

As most of you know, the Chapel suffered severe water damage in 2018, and it was discovered in assessing the needed repairs that there is asbestos in the overhead that requires removal and contamination mitigation. The Chapel has served the Parish well and is currently the home of the physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist available 24/7 for face to face prayer and meditation on his infinite Love. As part of the basic repairs, we feel the need to completely redo the 50+ year interior of the Chapel and make it a dignified, pleasant place to worship as befits Christ’s Real Presence there.

We are gathering estimates and evaluating options for the interior design and articles. The current plan includes some of the following: add double insulated, stained glass windows; redo the ceiling, floor, and walls; change out the entry doors; update the electrical and HVAC; and make a new altar and podium.

All of this is estimated to cost approximately $135,000 to $150,000. Over the next few months, much more information will be available about the renovation and how you can help with resources. We will offer Memorial Opportunities as part of the fundraising. Please see the information at the poster in the Main Church and the Chapel for more details.

One idea to consider would be to make a donation towards Chapel renovation in the name of friends or loved ones as a Christmas present for those who are hard to shop for.