Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel
| Guests are always welcome at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. Visitors are invited to use the chapel for prayer and to join the Benedictine monastic Community at the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist. It is our hope that all who come here may find peace, joy, and an awareness of God’s love. |
History of the ChapelIn 1984, the Benedictine Community of St. Scholastica Monastery and The College of St. Scholastica reached an agreement to exchange spaces occupied since 1938 by the College Library and Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. The Monastery renovated the first floor library to achieve an accessible, liturgically appropriate and aesthetically pleasing worship area. In the new Chapel, dedicated in 1986, the wood and stone from the original chapel have been used, preserving a link with the past and serving as a reminder of the beloved place in which, for fifty years, Sisters met for daily prayer and celebrated milestones of their religious lives. |
The Gathering PlaceThe Gathering Place makes it easy to gather and greet friends from the monastic and wider community before entering the chapel itself. The Community assembles for monastic statio, blessings, and entrance and funeral rites. The baptismal font, constructed from the former altar, is made of Kasota Marble. The gently flowing water is symbolic of baptismal consecration. Its octagonal shape is an ancient symbol of the “eighth day,” the day of the Lord, the dawn of a new creation; that is, a new era of peace and justice. |
The stained glass windows of women saints line both sides of the Gathering Place. |
The stained glass windows of women saints have been reset in panels of oak from the previous chapel, and they remind us of the strength of women as well as the power of prayer. |
Sister Lisa makes her first profession in the Gathering Place. |
Devotional AreasThere are two devotional areas on either side of the main altar: one is Benedictine and features an icon of Benedict and Scholastica as well as a ceremonial copy of the Rule of St. Benedict. The windows in this side of the chapel are dedicated to Benedictine saints, so that the entire area reminds us of our special calling to the Benedictine way of life. |
Icon of the Monastery patrons written by +Sister Mary Charles McGough. |
On the other side of the Liturgy Chapel is a similar prayer space dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. |
Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus |
The Liturgy ChapelThe chapel is central to Benedictines. This is where the community gathers daily for Eucharist and Liturgy of the Hours. The essential part of the sanctuary is the altar which represents Jesus Christ who is among us in the people gathered for worship, in God’s Word, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. |
The Chapel is the center of the Sisters' lives of prayer. |
The carved wood Stations of the Cross are along the side aisles towards the back of the Chapel. |
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The K.C. Marrin tracker organ is a 31-rank mechanical action instrument. The pipes were manufactured in Germany, and the oak cabinetry was designed to match the other wood in the chapel. The sanctuary lamp hangs in an opening in the wall between the Liturgy Chapel and the Eucharistic Chapel. The lamp is a reminder of the divine Presence of the word enthroned in the Liturgy Chapel and the presence of Christ reserved in the tabernacle in the Eucharistic Chapel.
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The Eucharistic ChapelThe Eucharistic Chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, provides a warm, intimate atmosphere for prayer and meditation. |
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Reconciliation RoomThe Reconciliation Room is furnished to allow the celebration of the sacrament either face to face or with a screen for privacy. |
Bell Tower |
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| Through the windows of the north cloister walk, visitors can see the Angelus Garden and the bell tower that houses the bell, “Benedict,” which calls the Community to worship. At the base of the bell tower is a stone sculpture of the Archangel Gabriel. |
