Christendom College will dedicate its new Christ the King Chapel on April 15, 2023, the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. A culmination of years of work and generosity from so many, the new Chapel will be consecrated by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington with Francis Cardinal Arinze presiding.
The dedication of Christ the King Chapel will be a momentous occasion for Christendom and the high point of the college’s forty-fifth anniversary celebrations. The new Chapel, inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, will be able to accommodate 840 people and will offer the college more space in a stunning setting for worship.
The ceiling of the crossing tower of the new Christ the King Chapel, painted by alumna Mandy Hain and a team of artists.
During the Mass of Dedication, the Chapel will be filled to capacity with the college’s alumni priests and the many donors who made the construction of the Chapel possible. The Mass will be invitation-only as a result, with the Mass broadcasted live for those unable to attend. Following the Mass, a special reception will be held for guests outside of the Chapel.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16, the college community will gather for the first community Mass in the new Chapel, which will be celebrated by Cardinal Arinze. Following the Mass, the college’s new, large botafumeiro (incensor) will also be used for the first time in the Chapel to celebrate this special occasion. A formal celebration for faculty, staff, and students will also be held on Sunday evening in a large tent set up for the occasion.
Christendom first began publicly fundraising for the new Chapel in 2016, launching the multimillion dollar A Call to Greatness campaign. The campaign launch included a reception next to an outline of the new Chapel, giving benefactors an idea of how large the new Chapel would be upon completion.
Christendom first began publicly fundraising for the new Chapel in 2016, launching the multimillion dollar A Call to Greatness campaign — the most ambitious financial campaign in the history of the college. Raising money for the college’s endowment fund, annual fund, and for the Chapel, the campaign was completed in 2018, with the college breaking ground on the new Chapel in the following year.
Interior work has continued on the Chapel, with the installation of steeples and 12 bells by the McShane Bell company, restoration and new stained glass by Beyer Studio, and restoration and installation of the antique High Altar, Altar of Sacrifice, altar rail, and four side shrines by Rugo Stone.
Designed by architectural firm O’Brien & Keene and led by the college’s Vice President for Operations and Planning Mike Foeckler and Chapel Project Manager Pat Haggerty, the Chapel construction officially began in the summer of 2019. Site work was performed by GB Foltz, contracting with Hoar Construction as the General Contractor. Hoar Construction and their team of trade partners worked diligently for the next year and a half, constructing the steel frame, the intricate exterior, a slate roof, and the 115-foot-tall central crossing tower. During construction, alumna Mandy Hain and a team of artists painted the crossing tower ceiling and decorated lettering of the Sanctus above the Sanctuary.
The Nativity window is just one of the many beautiful stained-glass windows installed in the new Chapel.
Since the completion of Hoar Construction’s work on the Chapel, interior work has continued, with the installation of steeples and 12 bells by the McShane Bell company, restoration and new stained glass by Beyer Studio, and the restoration and installation of the antique High Altar, Altar of Sacrifice, altar rail, and four side shrines by Rugo Stone. In the coming months, beautiful wood flooring and wood detailing will be finished in the Chapel, and the new organ from Kegg Pipe Organ Builders will be installed and voiced. Construction of a new piazza in front of the Chapel is also underway and will feature a bronze statue of Christ the King.
For more information on Christ the King Chapel’s construction and more, visit chapel.christendom.edu.