Interfaith Chapel
The dedication of the Interfaith Chapel in 1970 represented the fulfillment of a 20-year endeavor by Gilbert and Virginia McCurdy to provide a religious and spiritual center for the University. The effort that commenced in 1950 began with multiple studies over an eight-year period in order to arrive at the final design. The apex, which was constructed over the 550-seat main sanctuary, had arches that spanned out in three different directions from each corner of the building and was known as the "Christmas Tree" by the workers on the site. The contractor won an award for craftsmanship by the Builder's Exchange for the outstanding example of the year. The colored glass windows consist of almost 2,000 openings, some smaller than a man's hand, filled with one-inch-thick pieces of colored Blenko glass. The Willet Studios of Philadelphia completed the process, which lasted almost three years. A cornerstone of the Interfaith Chapel is its versatile pipe organ that was designed, built, and installed over a two-year period by Casavent Freres of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
As the words above the entrance suggest, it was to be "a house of prayer for all people" to celebrate their religious traditions and spiritual practices. Since this auspicious beginning, it has grown as a dynamic model of diversity in the University, a place that supports the particular expression and celebration of different faith traditions while promoting discovery and learning about the common threads that bind people. The Chapel offers the University and Rochester communities a home for exploring and celebrating the familiar—and the not so familiar—in an environment characterized by respect and dialogue.
The Chapel is a place for worship, meditation, and quiet study; for community service, service-learning, and discussion of social justice issues; for weddings, unions, and celebrations for alumni and the wider community; a site for social and musical programs, talks on moral and ethical dilemmas, and memorials. Life at the Chapel is, quite simply, as wonderfully vibrant, varied, and rich as the tower of colored glass that distinguishes its place along the Genesee River.
©1996–2006 · University of Rochester · Rochester, NY 14627
