2011 Catholic Schools Week Supplement

New chapels help nurture Catholic faith at two high schools

Roncalli High School freshman Danielle Babb, a member of St. Roch Parish in Indianapolis, assists Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein as an altar server during the dedication Mass for the new Chapel of the Sacred Heart on Dec. 7 at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. (Submitted photo/Kristen West)

By Mary Ann Wyand

Sacred space, a special place to pray, at school is a priority for Catholic educators.

Crucifixes are prominently displayed in Catholic high school and grade school classrooms, and gymnasiums are used for all-school Masses.

A sign that reads, in part, “Christ is the reason for this school” is visible in the lobby or office at Catholic schools.

Chapel space created from a former office or classroom at some Catholic high schools enable smaller groups of students to pray together and receive the Eucharist at Mass during the school day.

This year, students, faculty and staff members at Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School and Roncalli High School, two of the four interparochial schools in Indianapolis, are worshiping in new chapels built through the generosity of alumni and other donors who support the Church’s mission of Catholic education.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein blessed Cardinal Ritter’s Mater Dolorosa Chapel, which is Latin for “Sorrowful Mother,” during a dedication Mass on Sept. 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

On Dec. 7, Archbishop Buechlein blessed Roncalli’s Chapel of the Sacred Heart.

The new chapels are an answer to prayers for the priests who serve as school chaplains at the Indianapolis West Deanery and Indianapolis South Deanery high schools.

“We used to have a classroom that had been turned into a chapel,” explained Father John Hollowell, Cardinal Ritter’s chaplain. “The new chapel is almost twice as tall as the other buildings on our campus. It is located right by one of our entryways as well, and I think it just sets the tone for what we’re about when people walk into the school. The fact that we would put that kind of priority into making a suitable home for our Lord, I think, says a lot about what the people in the Ritter community value.”

Cardinal Ritter’s contemporary chapel features a high, arched ceiling, Father Hollowell said. “What I like—and the archbishop commented on it too when he came and blessed the chapel—is that it’s a very open space with a lot of windows and draws your attention upward, which is what a lot of cathedrals of old did, drawing your attention to heaven.”

Father James Wilmoth, the pastor of St. Roch Parish in Indianapolis and Roncalli’s chaplain, helped Joseph Hollowell, the school president and Father Hollowell’s father, raise funds to build and decorate the Chapel of the Sacred Heart.

“The chapel is near and dear to my heart,” Father Wilmoth said. “Prior to that, we were saying Mass in a little room on the top floor of the school that only had about 20 seats. Now we have plenty of room. The pews hold about 140 people, and we have good crowds for Mass. It is open during school hours so students can pray there. The kids really enjoy it.”

Father Wilmoth also is thrilled that the chapel, bell tower and outdoor Marian shrine dominate the school campus, and proclaim that Jesus is present there in the Eucharist.

Architect Michael Eagan of Entheos Architects in Indianapolis, a Roncalli High School graduate, enjoyed designing both school chapels.

Eagan’s “mentor in life,” James Ratliff, still teaches the architectural drafting class as part of Roncalli’s industrial arts curriculum.

“He took a real interest in my career direction,” Eagan recalled. “I knew that I wanted to be an architect, and he guided me on what courses I should take to best prepare me for college.”

Crosses, gables and natural light dominate the interior and exterior of Ritter’s chapel, he said, which is designed to “lift eyes and souls heavenward.”

The lofty ceiling and bell tower in Roncalli’s chapel also draw people’s hearts and minds upward in prayer, Eagan said, and reflect the Church’s mission of spreading the Gospel.

St. Barnabas parishioner David Buergler of Indianapolis, a Roncalli sophomore, said it’s important for students to have a special place to spend time with God at school.

“It’s a real blessing to have this chapel,” David said. “We know this gift is special, and that it was probably hard for people to donate money because of these difficult economic times. We want to thank those wonderful people for giving us this beautiful chapel.” †