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Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:26:52 -0500 |
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the Richmond Times Dispatch yesterday [Feb. 20] had an article about
the Wren cross, and what the 'chapel situation' is in other Virginia
colleges. Of Virginia's 15 four-year public colleges and
universities, only 5 have traditional chapels. Small rooms are set
aside for chapels at university affiliated hospitals at U. Va. and
VCU in Richmond. So in addition to the chapel at W&M:
U. Va. has, for 40 years, had a removable cross on its chapel altar,
which is taken away for certain events. The cross was originally a
gift from Navy units that were stationed there during WW II for
training, and it is kept there as a memorial to those from the units
who died in the war. The University chapel was built in 1890 in a
cruciform shape, with stained glass windows that depict crosses,
Jesus, Mary, Moses and angels. A stone cross is at the roof at the
front of the Gothic style building; so removing religious symbolism
there would be impossible, thought the chapel has been used in a
nondenominational way since it was built.
Va. Tech's chapel only has 3 wall sculptures of God interacting with
man; religious symbols must be brought to the chapel by the
celebrants. It was built in 1960 as the "War Memorial Chapel" and is
open to all groups.
VMI has no religious symbols in its chapel, built in 1916 and known
as Jackson Memorial Hall; it has never had religious symbols present.
A mural inside the chapel shows the charge of VMI cadets at the
Battle of New Market.
U. Va.'s College at Wise [county] also has no religious symbols in
its chapel, and like Va. Tech requires that celebrants bring whatever
religious symbols they choose. It was built in 1982 with donations
from a Jewish family, first generation Americans whose parents had
fled Lithuania. It is called the Chapel of All Faiths and it displays
a plaque showing the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on an
inside wall [I really like this idea].
Nancy
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I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.
--Daniel Boone
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