On Wednesday, September 23, 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Masses began at Our Lady of the Way Chapel, a newly established chapel. These Masses are being celebrated in place of the daily Masses usually offered at St. Mary’s Chapel. There will be 8 a.m. Mass every day and 12 p.m. Mass on weekdays.
Our Lady of the Way Chapel is located in the Trustee’s Room of Burns Library, also known as the British Catholic Authors room. It is located behind the glass and wood division at the back of Gargan Hall, the main study room in Bapst. The chapel has a socially distanced seating capacity of 45 people, with another 25 overflow seats available in the Thompson Room next door. The Trustee’s Room is normally used to store books for Burns and as the meeting space for the Board of Trustees. The room has been refurbished with a temporary altar and the tabernacle from the old Cushing chapel. Currently, there is no prominent religious art besides the crucifix.
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle, and the chapel will be open for prayer 30 minutes before Mass. The chapel will not be open to the public outside of these hours; however, St. Mary’s Chapel will be open for private prayer from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Access to the Our Lady of the Way Chapel is through the Burns Library door facing Commonwealth Ave. and up the main staircase. Handicap access is provided by a golf cart ride to the elevators on the other side of the building.
All campus and state health guidelines are being followed. Masks are required and congregants must show their BC symptom check clearance before entering. Congregants are asked to sign in using a Google Form before entering the chapel similar to the form used to sign into Bapst Library.
The use of interim chapels is not unprecedented in Boston College history. During the renovations of St. Mary’s Hall in 2013, the Jesuit community used the Gasson Library as a chapel. The Trustee’s Room was selected instead of the Gasson Library because of its larger capacity and the fact that events have already been scheduled in the library. Campus Minister Billy Kavula indicated that the interim chapel would be used until St. Mary’s is open for public Mass.
As for the new chapel’s name, St. Ignatius had a strong devotion to Our Lady of the Way. In a small Roman chapel by this name, Santa Maria della Strada, he established the headquarters of the Society of Jesus. He also placed the Society under the patronage of Our Lady of the Way. Because of her patronage, the Jesuits celebrate this title of Our Lady on May 24. Several Jesuit institutions and universities have chapels named for Our Lady of the Way. There is an image of Our Lady of the Way in the foyer of St. Mary’s Hall.
Until these Masses commenced in the Our Lady of the Way Chapel, the 2020-21 school year began without morning Masses and only one daily Mass on campus: Candlelight Mass, celebrated at 10 p.m. in St. Joseph’s Chapel, Mondays through Thursdays. The return to morning Mass was greeted with joy by students.
“I’ve always been a regular at St. Mary’s 8 a.m. I’m very happy to have the chance to attend morning Mass again,” says Gerard DeAngelis, CSOM ’21.
Image courtesy of Alex Wasilkoff.
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