Breidenthal leads Chapel rededication ceremony

The recently restored University Chapel was rededicated yesterday in a festive, multicultural and multifaith service led by the new Dean of Religious Life, Rev. Thomas Breidenthal.

The University began renovations to the chapel two years ago to repair stonework and relead stained-glass windows.

The service, which was attended by people with various University affiliations, opened with a welcome message from Breidenthal, in which he stressed the hope that the ceremony would invoke "enthusiastic participation" from attendees of all faiths.

The smooth stones, which were given to everyone as they entered, he said, were meant to represent the stones of the chapel, men and women as the living stones of God's creation and the living God, as the everlasting rock.

After a call to prayer from the Koran by Nancy Khalek GS in the native tongue and the rededication of the chapel doors by Rabbi James Diamond, the participants in the ceremony processed down the chapel's center aisle to the beat of bongo drums behind two colorful flying kites.

The next portion of the service featured song and spoken word. The Chapel Choir sang various anthems and praise songs. President Tilghman and Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson each gave biblical readings.

Before the sermon, Assistant Dean of Religious Life Deborah Blanks rededicated the pulpit, calling it "a bridge to the past" and "an anchor in the present."

From the pulpit, Breidenthal spoke about the chapel's "long, multifaith history." Though the chapel's initial dedication in 1928 can never be repeated, he said, yesterday's ceremony "marks this institutions continuing commitment to truth not to be mastered but served."

"This chapel stands for truth that transcends individual or corporate self-interest," he said.

After the sermon, Sue Anne Steffey Morrow, an associate dean of religious life, rededicated "the stones, windows and space" as she walked the length of the chapel. She noted the symbolism in the stained glass at chapel's west end.

Students of faiths ranging from Buddhism to Judaism to Islam then voiced their own blessings on the chapel.

The ceremony concluded with a benediction, retiring processional hymn and organ postlude.

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After the service, Tilghman voiced her wholehearted agreement with the overall tone of the service. The chapel is "a still place on a busy campus," she said.

"I was particularly happy with the emphasis on inclusiveness, with the idea that [the chapel] is the site of religious life on campus, not just Christian life," Tilghman said.

Dickerson, who said she was "delighted by the ecumenical nature" of the service, spoke of administrators' satisfaction with the chapel's restoration. The chapel is "the physical reflection of what is spiritual about learning," she said.

The rededication of the chapel also offers an opportunity for reflection on the University's overall religious life, Breidenthal said.

Breidenthal arrived at the University in January just as the scaffolding was beginning to come down from the chapel. He said his experience with spirituality on campus thus far has been "very positive."

"I am impressed by the tremendous amount of work that has been done to develop trust and understanding across all faiths on campus," he said. "I am also heartened by the cooperation between different chaplains."