I recently discovered that popular Catholic pilgrimages involve visits to many churches, basilicas, and shrines. This prompted me to present a virtual visit to the SND chapel in our Province Center. You will see that it is rich in symbolism.

The Gathering Space

Before entering the chapel, you come to the gathering place. One wall is covered with clay plaques. At the time of the chapel’s renovation, each Sister made one to represent herself and wrote an explanation of it. A book on a stand there holds these explanations and when a Sister dies, it is opened to her page.

My plaque has a large chi-rho (P and X — Greek “Chr”) for Christ the King. I celebrate my name day on the feast of Christ the King, and my religious name was Kirene from chi-rho. I included a rock from the Holy Land where I visited once and a tiny dove for the Holy Spirit who inspires all my writing.

Also in the gathering space stands a statue of our spiritual mother, St. Julie Billiart, created by Sister Megan Dull. It depicts her soul, which is always focused on God.

Off to the right is the sacristy room.

Chapel Proper

Walking into the chapel, to the right you see a lighted case holding the three sacred oils: oil of catechumens, holy chrism, and oil of the sick. These are in hand-blown German glass, a reminder of our German roots. Next to the case is a Reconciliation room.

Facing you is a large baptismal font formed by large rocks taken from our property. Why a baptismal font in a convent?  Our religious vows are rooted in our baptismal promises. The font is in a direct line with the altar and the tabernacle, expressing the connection.

The altar is a squared circle, a paradox like the mystery of God that will take place on it. The tabernacle, decorated with three red drops of blood, is behind a large glass screen of red and blue that becomes transparent at the top. Chairs before the tabernacle are for private prayer. The wall behind it has a narrow, rectangular stained-glass window. Above is a round stained-glass window of red and blue whose colors shift, representing the mystery of God and his actions in our lives.

At the side is an unusual Y-shaped crucifix modeled after the 13^th century one in a Coesfeld, Germany parish, where our two founders lived and worked. It can be used as a processional cross.

Devotional Stations

Around the back wall of the chapel are five devotional stations. They include stained-glass windows created by an SND long ago for the previous chapel.

Station One

The first station represents the Communion of Saints and heaven’s glory. The triptych of quilts sewn by our Sisters show the progression from earth to glory.

A large open book is the Book of Life in which names of deceased Sisters from 1877 are beautifully recorded by our calligrapher, Sr. Joanne Zeitz. A book for writing down intentions is also displayed.

Station Two

The second station contains a realistic statue of Mary and chairs where you can converse with her. Currently it also has reminders to pray for the situation in the Ukraine. I used a picture of this statue for the cover of my yearly devotional book Heart to Heart with Mary.

Station Three

The next station is a liturgical one for items representing the Church year seasons and feast. At Easter it holds a statue of the Risen Lord, and at Christmas a large Nativity set. Now you see statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Station Four

The last station is our historical station. Pictures of St. Julie, our spiritual mother, and Sister Aldegonda, our founder, are displayed as well as handwritten letters from our community leaders. The back wall has a magnificent triptych painted by Sr. Carol Dikovitsky. It represents the love of God flowing down through all the ages. The Coesfeld cross and a fleur-de-lis for French St. Julie. On either side are circles with symbols of the continents where SNDs are present.

Dots in the blue background form animals and constellations in God’s creation. I like to have visitors detect them. In a wooden case below rests a relic of St. Julie, her anklebone.

Way of the Cross

Along the back of the chapel are free-standing stations of the cross from the walls of the original chapel.

Choir

On the left side of chapel are the organ, piano, chairs for the singers, and tables for the bell ringers. A bass and sometimes flutes and a viola accompany the music.

There is no clock because in the chapel is God’s time.

A large sheet of glass at the back of chapel contains the names of donors who contributed to the chapel renovation.

SND Chapel’s Exterior

Your Church

• How familiar are you with your church?  What shape is it? Does it have special features? What do its stained-glass windows represent? Where is its baptismal font?

• Have you ever investigated your cathedral?  It probably has many interesting features.

Video

Every day I receive an email written by a priest who presents artwork related to the day’s Gospel and explains the Word. Recently, he included a video explaining one feature of Westminster Cathedral. I thought you might be interested in it: