On Saturday, October 12, we celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the re-dedication of Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. The chapel was built in 1938 and, with war looming on the horizon, was dedicated to Mary, Queen of Peace. It served our needs for many years. The library of The College of St. Scholastica was moved into the first floor, and the chapel above was reached by a spiral staircase.
In the mid-1980s, it was decided to reverse the two spaces. The Community no longer needed such a large worship area, and, since it was not barrier-free, those unable to climb the stairs could not worship with the rest of the Community. At the same time the College’s library was outgrowing its space and needed to expand. In response to these needs, the first floor was renovated to become the chapel, while the high vaulted space above was divided into three library floors.
On October 12, 1986 the new Chapel was formally rededicated to Our Lady Queen of Peace. Each year on this date we celebrate with a solemn Mass, give thanks to God, and honor the Sisters who made this difficult and heart-wrenching decision. We honor the wise stewards, led by Mother Grace Marie Braun, who gave the original chapel space for an expanded College library, and created this new worship space where all are welcome. May we be good stewards of our space today and make wise decisions to meet the needs of our time.