LAJ was pleased to receive an update on the new chapel of Christ the King planned for Christendom College, the Catholic classical liberal arts college located in Front Royal, Virginia founded by Warren H. Carroll. The following images are from O'Brien and Keane Architecture , the firm working with Christendom to execute the project.





"The new chapel will have more than double the seating capacity of the current chapel and a 116-foot Gothic bell tower that will rise out of the Shenandoah Valley and be visible for miles. The chapel will have a traditional cruciform structure, with a beautiful high altar, handcrafted in Italy in the early 20th Century at the center, and an exquisite hand-crafted organ, designed with over 2600 pipes. The chapel will also feature new artwork crafted to reflect the timeless traditions found in the great cathedrals of Western Europe and restored traditional sacred art rescued from abandoned historic churches throughout the United States. The sacred art adorning the chapel, including over 100 stained glass windows sponsored by benefactors, will raise the hearts and minds of the community to Heaven and pay homage to the great artistic traditions of Church patrimony."

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The college aimed to fundraise $40,000,000 toward this project and has surpassed that goal by over $5,000,000. This, for me at least, certainly speaks to the dedication and importance so many give to the importance of beautiful liturgical art and architecture.The following promotional video was produced by the college about the chapel and its associated campaign.One common feature of these newly designed chapels today is very often an "altar of sacrifice" and a separate "altar of reservation" (the latter being essentially a traditional high altar). This arrangement both serves the present moment of time with its particular generational dynamics, while also providing for the possibility of future developments which may well see the opportunity to restore a fixed high altar and reredos model.Ground-breaking has taken place and construction is slated to begin in the next few months. The chapel is expected to be completed in the 1.5 to 2 years.