Our Lady Queen of Peace chapel

Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel was originally built in 1897 and has served as more than a chapel. It has been used as a “theater, woodworking and blacksmith shop, bowling alley and a shooting range” (Texas Architects). Then in 1947, it was designated to be a chapel. In 2012, the master plan included the chapel to be renovated. On October 21, 2014, Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel was opened and blessed. Not only did they renovate the chapel, but they also created a new place for Campus Ministry and added a meditation garden. Not only is it a place where people can worship, but events are held and people now utilize it to study. Some of the elements in the chapel like the “altar, tabernacle, crucifix, baptismal font, ambry and lectern were all crafted from trees that were damaged from a previous storm” (St. Edward’s University). The Meditation Garden is environmentally friendly. It has a water system where it “collects rainwater which then pours into a seam and hydrates a surrounding bed” (St. Edward’s University). Our Lady Queen of Peace chapel has also opened its doors to those that come to worship even if they do not practice Catholicism. Other religions such as Islam, use the community room next to the chapel as a place to worship. The chapel has served many roles, but throughout its time, it has always been a place to bring communities together.