"The Catholic intellectual tradition places a strong emphasis on the spiritual development of every person. By providing a place of sanctuary for reflection and prayer, as well as a large, warm space for religious and communal celebrations, the new Chapel will be a jewel in the heart of our campus, a building that says clearly how highly the University values that tradition." President Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D.
Sacred Heart’s campus development has been directly tied to student development. “We’re not only preparing students professionally, but giving them a deeper understanding and appreciation of who they are and who they are called to be,” says President Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D. “That requires a campus with the tools and physical spaces for reflection, interaction and exploration.”
With the dual goals of creating “the strongest academic community through compact campus development” and “building human beings, not just buildings,” as Dr. Cernera puts it, the University created a Master Plan in 2002 for making physical improvements to Sacred Heart’s main Fairfield campus, and has steadily been implementing that plan since then. Improvements completed so far have included new and renovated cutting-edge laboratories (Ambulatory Care, Motion Analysis, Neuroscience, CAD, CAM and the Media); a 2,300-square-foot fitness center; and a renovation of the Ryan-Matura Library, the remodeling of which will include building a new wing and putting the latest information technologies firmly in the hands of University students, faculty and staff.
As a result of Sacred Heart’s steady growth in both enrollment and academic resources, U.S. News & World Report recently ranked SHU in the top tier of Master’s Universities in the North, while the Princeton Review recognized SHU as among the “best in the Northeast” in its annual college rankings. Sacred Heart has also been rated as one of America’s “Most Unwired College Campuses” by Intel, thanks to our innovative, highly regarded Mobile Computing Program.
Despite Sacred Heart’s rapid growth, the University’s passionate dedication to developing the spirit as well as the mind and body of every member of our community remains as sharply focused as ever. Over the next couple of years, we will see that commitment embodied in a beautiful new sanctuary—a house of prayer for all our people.
The decision to build the Chapel was partly practical. Given the University’s rapid growth, the present worship spaces on campus are no longer sufficient for the size of the student body. However, by deliberately choosing to build the Chapel in such a central location on campus, this building will serve as a highly visible beacon, forming one of the borders of the newly designed Quad along with the renovated and expanded Library and another new building housing the Humanities departments. The end result is that all aspects of University life will necessarily take place in relationship with the University’s spiritual core.
“When you see a chapel, there’s a certain awe factor,” points out Sister Margaret Palliser, OP, S.T.D., Sacred Heart University’s assistant vice President for mission. “A chapel is a symbol of the power and majesty that lies at the heart of everyday life. Its existence reminds us that it is as essential to nourish the spirit as it is to exercise the mind through academics or the body through athletics.”
Ideally, she adds, “even just hearing the Chapel bells chime as we walk across campus will stop us in the midst of whatever we’re doing, and lead us to contemplate our lives from a different perspective.”
The word “spirituality” comes from the Latin root “spiritus,” which means “breath”—as in the breath of life. Nurturing the spirit means opening our hearts and broadening our ability to experience awe, reverence and gratitude, as we develop the capability to perceive the sacred in everyday life. In the spirit of Sacred Heart University’s Vatican II origins, the Chapel will provide a sanctuary in which people of all faiths will be welcomed for worship and personal contemplation as they engage in a “free search for truth about nature, man, and God,” as John Paul II wrote in Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990).
“With this new chapel, the University proudly makes a strong statement about the role of faith in today’s campus life,” says Dr. Cernera, “and underscores just how important we believe spirituality is in influencing how students and other members of Sacred Heart’s community learn and interact with others on campus and in the world.”