The soul of the Loyola Campus
Seventy-eight years ago this week, the Loyola Chapel opened its doors.
Although the west-end Loyola College campus was built in 1916, it was only in 1933 that a dedicated chapel was constructed. Before that, a corner of a campus basement served as the college’s chapel, and attracted local residents as well as students and faculty for services. By 1917, a Roman Catholic parish for Anglophones was established, first meeting in the basement space, and then the chapel, until a parish church was constructed in 1967.
In addition to serving as a place of worship and celebration, the chapel was the college’s sole performance hall for students and visiting performers, including Thelonious Monk. In 1990, the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall was built on the campus.
In 2009, the Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal requested the chapel expand its activities to encompass all faiths. The Dean of Students Office has been working with the campus community to redefine the chapel as a multi-faith community space, Those involved in the project are searching for stories and memorabilia from the chapel’s past to develop a display documenting the chapel’s history and place within university and community life.
Dean of Students Elizabeth Morey would like to see a permanent exhibition, possibly in the hallway between the Administration Building and the chapel. In addition to posters, playbills, invitations or photographs, people with stories to tell can also contribute to an oral history project as part of the exhibit.
“We’d like to have the exhibition ready in time for Homecoming weekend next Fall,” says Morey. The oral history component might take longer to organize. Morey is already working with the Loyola Alumni Association to identify grads with stories to share.
Everyone with ideas or materials is asked to contact either Morey (emmorey@alcor.concordia.ca) or Multi-Faith Chaplain Ellie Hummel (ellie.hummel@concordia.ca) for more information on how to submit materials.
Related links:
• Dean of Students Office
• Multi-Faith Chaplaincy
• Loyola Alumni Association
• “Historic Loyola Chapel Continues to Evolve” - NOW, November 18, 2010
• History of the Chapel building