“There are some places that seem almost too beautiful where they’re planted … hidden here on the third floor of the Le Mans hall, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit is just such a place. To call it a hidden gem doesn’t quite do it justice, does it? It is more like a quiet heartbeat: steady, faithful, life-giving, at the very center of this remarkable building for the past one hundred years,” Fr. Bill Lies said. Lies is the provincial superior for the U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers for the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Lies’ remarks on the chapel echoed throughout the nave, where scores of attendees sat and listened to his homily for the 100th anniversary of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit’s dedication. The Mass, celebrated Friday, was the 100th anniversary to the day. A 24-person community choir, made up of students, alumnae, faculty, staff, sisters and community members, led the congregation in liturgical worship. Lies was accompanied by Fr. Felipe Campos and Fr. Joseph Lorenz.
Generally, the Holy Spirit Chapel is reserved for students throughout the school year because of its location in the center of the residence portion of Le Mans Hall. However, for a few times out of the year, the chapel is open to the tri-campus community. This Mass marked one of these special occasions, “widening the invitation” to faculty and staff to celebrate Mass in Saint Mary’s landmark building.
“Holy Spirit Chapel is so beautiful and such an icon of the College because it’s nestled into the heart of Le Mans and surrounded by student residences. We aren’t able to bring even faculty and staff or off-campus friends into it as often as we would ideally like. It’s what makes today so special,” vice president for mission Molly Gower said.
The planning for this dedication, however, began nearly two years earlier when Director of the Center for Faith, Action, and Ministry Nicole Labadie became interested in the chapel’s 100th anniversary during the College’s celebrations for Le Mans Hall’s centennial.
Labadie described herself as “having a dream” to host a large celebration after learning from the College’s archivist Eric Walerko the century milestone hadn’t passed yet. The original dedication date, April 24, 1926, had been lost to time until Walerko found the original worship guides within Saint Mary’s archives.
“I’ve been recounting a lot of just how much this chapel has seen over the past 100 years. It has been a place of such encounter: encounter with God, with community, in moments of silence and stillness. It has seen numerous weddings, many confirmations, many words of healing through the sacrament of reconciliation. It has been a place where students and Saint Mary’s community members and sisters have paused, bringing anguish, joy, grief and peace,” Labadie said during the anniversary Mass.
A post-Mass reception held in Stapleton Lounge invited those in attendance for the Mass and the general Saint Mary’s College community to digitally view the found archival materials and enjoy snacks, Holy Spirit Chapel-themed stickers and prayer cards. Students, alumnae, sisters and community members alike shared their appreciation for and memories of the Holy Spirit Chapel.
“When I first came here, I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted to study or what I wanted my future to be,” Paige Parker ’24, a graduate student at Notre Dame, said. “And every time I felt that way, I would just go to the Holy Spirit Chapel and sit in silence. And I found that that silence offered me such a great comfort that I necessarily couldn’t find anywhere else.”
Sophomore Tori Diaz, the operations coordinator for CFAM, said one of her favorite places on campus is sitting in Holy Spirit Chapel and believes its presence on campus offers a meeting place with Christ for students.
“I think it’s just really nice to have a space of worship, especially having Jesus so close to me inside my own dorm, you know? It’s so accessible, and it’s really important to have somewhere where He’s always there waiting for you. Even at three in the morning, I can just go over there and spend time [with Him].”
The original vision and construction of Le Mans Hall and the Holy Spirit Chapel began with the College’s first president, Mother Pauline O’Neill, at a time where the student population was little more than 300 students.
“Mother Pauline O’Neill and the Holy Cross sisters envisioned not just a building, but a home: a place where young women would grow, stretch, pray, laugh and occasionally stay up way too late,” Lies said during his homily.
The Chapel has undergone a number of changes since its original dedication. Labadie estimates the majority of the renovations, including the repainting of the walls and the reorientation of the altar, occurred during the era of Vatican II. The pews, flooring, stained glass windows, several architectural accessories and the prominent marble statues of Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus, however, are original to the chapel’s design.
The Stations of the Cross mosaics lining the walls of the chapel were a gift on behalf of the Class of 1958 and designed by Barbara Kluth Harrigan ’58 and Joan Roytek DeMerchant ’58 as part of their senior comprehensive projects. The statue of St. Josephine Bakhita, which is located near the entrance to the chapel, was commissioned and placed in 2022.
Reflecting on Lies’ homily, which called Holy Spirit Chapel as the “beating heart” of Saint Mary’s, Labadie finds the analogy to hold true based on her witness and experiences during her time at the College.
“I think it’s a place where people have encountered God deeply and each other in deeper ways as a community of faith and that emphasizes faith in spirituality. Mass and worship of God is like our primary expression of community,” she said.
