Mount St. Benedict Chapel Renovation Progress
August 2006 - June 2007


Why renovations were undertaken
The liturgical space of a Benedictine community is pivotal to their entire monastic life. The chapel is the space in which Benedictines gather daily because what they do there holds together the balanced life that Benedict lived, modeled and wrote about in the Rule. It is the place for the opus dei--the work of God in prayer and praise. This opus dei anchors and holds the community together. Because the Benedictines of Erie believe that everything in us flows into and then out from our times of prayer together, we realize the importance of attending to the space in which we gather.

The original chapel was built in 1971 and served the community well for 35 years. While it is true the ceiling and flooring are in serious need of attention, the community viewed this project as one of renovation rather than only repair. In viewing the chapel environment from physical, liturgical/theological and Benedictine perspectives, it has become clear that timely changes are both necessary and desirable.

The furnishings of the present chapel: pews, light fixtures and ceiling fans, were donated to a Louisiana parish whose church building was greatly affected by the hurricanes of 2005.

The areas listed below will receive attention during current renovations:


Gathering Space
An enlargement of the present chapel foyer is necessary. This gathering space must support Benedictine hospitality as well as the essential act of Christian worship: gathering together to form the body of Christ. This will be accomplished by reworking the configuration of existing rooms and halls near the chapel entrance. There will be a natural flow from the front entrance/welcome center with a stylized wall between the gathering space and the welcome center.

Accessibility is paramount. The inclusion of bench seating around some of the perimeter of the gathering space will increase accessibility for community members and others with physical challenges and adaptive equipment. It will allow for their participation in any rituals that occur or have their beginning in the gathering space.

Acoustics will be friendly to ritual gathering without being distracting to the events of the worship space. The space will be equipped for sound amplification that will enable simultaneous audibility in the gathering space, gallery, infirmary rooms and main worship space.


Baptismal Space
The addition of a meaningful water/baptism symbol will recall for us that it is through the waters of baptism that we enter the community of faith and become a member of the body of Christ. At the same time it will allow us to encounter the witness of the waters of forgiveness and regeneration, to confront anew the meaning of baptism in our lives, and be reminded that our Benedictine vows are an intensification of our baptismal vows. While a monastic community would not engage in sacramental baptism, the incorporation of a significant water symbol is desirable.

This symbol will reflect the strength and importance of life-giving waters along with compatibility to the natural environs of Erie. It will be a handcrafted artpiece with running water and designed to be touched.


Worship Space
The chapel proper, the main worship space, should both foster and strengthen Benedictine prayer and Benedictine/Christian community. It should be a space that is reflective of a community that celebrates its desire to be community, to be church, to both express and deepen the bonds of relationship. It must communicate the centrality of Word and Sacrament in the midst of a God-centered group. It is designed to be a hospitable and accessible space that will permit those gathered to see and hear one another and to experience themselves as a community in dialog with God who is both transcendent and in their midst.

To accomplish this, the redesign of the monastery chapel includes flattening the steep incline of the floor to improve chapel accessibility and enable flexible worship space.

The monastic seating arrangement will reflect a strong sense of community and provide for a specifically designated section for the community's daily liturgy of the hours while at the same time lending itself to a Sunday celebration of the Eucharist that is community-oriented. Accessibility and sight lines have been taken into account in arrangement of chairs and the worship space.


Music Ministry
Music has always been vibrantly embodied in Benedictine monastic life. For the Erie Benedictines, the music ministry is a significant part of the liturgical life of the community. A dedicated space for this effort is very important so as to enable musicians to function in both leading and participative roles.