New Chapel Will Seat 65

February 16, 2007

Author: Allsion Hata

Source: The DePaulia

http://www.thedepaulia.com/story.asp?artid=2105&sectid=1

This spring, DePaul will begin construction on a new chapel in the Lincoln Park Student Center. It will be located on the first floor of the Student Center where the west lounge currently exists. The reflection room adjacent to the lounge will also be renovated during the construction period. This space, along with the lounge, will become the site of the new Catholic St. Louise de Marillac Chapel.

The chapel is named after St. Louise de Marillac, the founder of the Daughters of Charity who are a vital part of the Vincentian history and family.

Mark Laboe, associate vice president for the University Ministry said, "The image of St. Louise offers a strong female model and heroine. She remains, as she was in seventeenth century France, a vital companion to St. Vincent at DePaul."

It is also intended to place more emphasis on the Catholic identity and the religious character of DePaul. Over the past few years, a larger Muslim Prayer Room was created as well as DePaul Hillel: The Center for Jewish Life on Campus.

The creation of these religious spaces "is part of a desire to encourage and promote students’ religious and spiritual lives as an important part of their college experience and growth as leaders, consistent with our Vincentian mission," Laboe said.