Chapel Restoration: New Altar
Over one hundred years ago, in 1913, a great gift was given to the Catholic Church in Canada. Toronto resident Eugene O’Keefe singlehandedly funded the building of a magnificent seminary to provide for the training of priests in English Canada. The chapel is the heart of the seminary. In this chapel, countless hours are spent in communal encounter with the Lord: in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in resounding praise, and in quiet contemplation.
After over a century of uninterrupted use, the chapel needs restoration. Decades of soot have obscured the vibrancy of the paintings. The pipe organ, though remarkably reliable, is now difficult to service. The chapel’s bell, which was removed some years ago, sits silently in storage, awaiting its return to the housing above the chapel. The finish on the pews has deteriorated greatly, and the outdated and inadequate lighting fails to reveal the chapel’s true beauty.
The chapel’s restoration aims to enrich the spiritual lives of all who enter, especially the men preparing for the Holy Priesthood. “These arts, by their very nature, are oriented toward the infinite beauty of God which they attempt in some way to portray by the work of human hands; they achieve their purpose of redounding to God’s praise and glory in proportion as they are directed more exclusively to the single aim of turning men’s minds devoutly toward God” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 122). Each stroke of the artist’s brush on the glass, every detail chiselled into the crucifix, and each slab of stone on the wall beautifully coalesces to raise the Christian imagination to Almighty God.
If the chapel is the heart of the seminary, the heart of the chapel is the altar. At every Mass, God descends onto our altar. Here, the sacrifice of Christ’s Body and Blood is made present, offered to the Father, and then given to us as food. It is for this reason that the first phase of the chapel restoration included the altar. The present altar, installed in the 1960’s, is out of harmony with its surroundings. Phase one of the restoration will include installing a new, classically styled altar and tabernacle stand, which will complement the Chapel’s Romanesque architecture.
The chapel lifts the heart and mind to God through its many beautiful elements: artistic stained glass, statuary of excellent craftsmanship, the marvelous tones of an historic pipe organ, and unique paintings adorning the walls and ceiling. With God’s grace and the support of the People of God, we hope to one day restore the entire Chapel to its former glory.
Learn more about our chapel restoration fundraiser, Songs from the Seminary.