(Published online for We Are Marquette, Medium.com, August 15, 2018.)
“When you come in here, you feel like you’re completely separate from all the hustle and bustle.” — Ann Hilbert, Campus Ministry
It’s a quiet oasis, a sanctuary of sorts. At first glance it appears a modest historic building–
one room — tucked away behind the famous statue of Father Jacques Marquette. The St.
Joan of Arc Chapel is much more than she appears.
The chapel is the oldest building on campus, in the state of Wisconsin, and even one of the oldest in the country. It was donated by Mrs. Gavin of Long Island, who had it imported from France, and puzzle-pieced back together at Marquette University 54 years ago, where it has remained a unique fixture ever since. (The reconstruction was a two-year project, so the chapel is officially celebrating its 52nd year in 2018.)
As Ann Hilbert explains, there is definitely some upkeep involved in this ancient legend at Marquette. Just this year, they’ve been in talks with the Haggerty Art Museum regarding ways in which to best preserve the architecture and artwork that reside inside the building.
This includes the tapestries on the walls, the wooden furniture, and the kneelers. One of the pieces most revered by Tour Guide and Sacristan Julie Baumann is a holy water font “from the 11th century and over 1,000 years old.”
The predominant eye-catching piece of art is a statue of Joan herself, off the left front of the altar. As Baumann laughingly intimates, it fooled her, too. If one looks closely, they can see a tiny hole near the base. Baumann explains:
“When I began here, I thought that was a piece of bronze sculpture, and it turns out at the 30th anniversary of the chapel being here, which would have been in 1996, they had a large celebration here on the grounds. And a local artist decided to do a papier-mâché statue of Joan of Arc. Yes, so it’s papier-mâché, but it looks like a piece that’s been around for generations.”
Students can visit to observe solitary prayer and meditation or attend one of the masses held weekdays when classes are in session. Anyone in Milwaukee can come and visit the chapel anytime during open hours (10 am — 4 pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday), but they also schedule larger tours through their office by reservation. 20–50 walk-ins a day, school groups, and pilgrimages are all commonplace at the little spiritual space.
As Baumann notes, the chapel serves as both a church and a museum, and even although those two functions might appear at cross-purposes, she muses that the “timing just always seems to work out.”
Sometimes there can be a big liturgy for a religious observance day, such as Ash Wednesday, or special religious groups might reserve the chapel for their rituals during off hours. Tragedies have also been addressed, by way of a vigil for a cause or event, points out Hilbert.
The bell hanging inside on the right was originally used to announce mass, and still had a clear clean ring, when Baumann permitted me to test it. Perhaps the most famous item is embedded in a shelf located behind the altar. Here sits a stone that young Joan stood on before going into battle. She would then kneel and kiss it.
According to legend, the stone tends to register several degrees colder than the ones surrounding it. Since I have always been intrigued by the supernatural, I had to see for myself and sure enough, it was definitely much colder to the touch. I was quickly convinced. As I finish up my second year of graduate school I plan to continue my own ritual, that I have maintained all through my time here. At the close of every semester I will stop in solo, and sit quietly awhile with St. Joan.
“I just would just love to have more of Milwaukee know about this gem here in the middle of a city and come and see a building that is older than the United States itself.” — Ann Hilbert
For additional information regarding the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, visit our 50th anniversary celebration reflection. For a guided tour of all of the sacred spaces on campus, visit http://marquette.edu/sacred-spaces
“When you come in here, you feel like you’re completely separate from all the hustle and bustle.” — Ann Hilbert, Campus Ministry
It’s a quiet oasis, a sanctuary of sorts. At first glance it appears a modest historic building–
one room — tucked away behind the famous statue of Father Jacques Marquette. The St.
Joan of Arc Chapel is much more than she appears.
The chapel is the oldest building on campus, in the state of Wisconsin, and even one of the oldest in the country. It was donated by Mrs. Gavin of Long Island, who had it imported from France, and puzzle-pieced back together at Marquette University 54 years ago, where it has remained a unique fixture ever since. (The reconstruction was a two-year project, so the chapel is officially celebrating its 52nd year in 2018.)
As Ann Hilbert explains, there is definitely some upkeep involved in this ancient legend at Marquette. Just this year, they’ve been in talks with the Haggerty Art Museum regarding ways in which to best preserve the architecture and artwork that reside inside the building.
This includes the tapestries on the walls, the wooden furniture, and the kneelers. One of the pieces most revered by Tour Guide and Sacristan Julie Baumann is a holy water font “from the 11th century and over 1,000 years old.”
The predominant eye-catching piece of art is a statue of Joan herself, off the left front of the altar. As Baumann laughingly intimates, it fooled her, too. If one looks closely, they can see a tiny hole near the base. Baumann explains:
“When I began here, I thought that was a piece of bronze sculpture, and it turns out at the 30th anniversary of the chapel being here, which would have been in 1996, they had a large celebration here on the grounds. And a local artist decided to do a papier-mâché statue of Joan of Arc. Yes, so it’s papier-mâché, but it looks like a piece that’s been around for generations.”
Students can visit to observe solitary prayer and meditation or attend one of the masses held weekdays when classes are in session. Anyone in Milwaukee can come and visit the chapel anytime during open hours (10 am — 4 pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday), but they also schedule larger tours through their office by reservation. 20–50 walk-ins a day, school groups, and pilgrimages are all commonplace at the little spiritual space.
As Baumann notes, the chapel serves as both a church and a museum, and even although those two functions might appear at cross-purposes, she muses that the “timing just always seems to work out.”
Sometimes there can be a big liturgy for a religious observance day, such as Ash Wednesday, or special religious groups might reserve the chapel for their rituals during off hours. Tragedies have also been addressed, by way of a vigil for a cause or event, points out Hilbert.
The bell hanging inside on the right was originally used to announce mass, and still had a clear clean ring, when Baumann permitted me to test it. Perhaps the most famous item is embedded in a shelf located behind the altar. Here sits a stone that young Joan stood on before going into battle. She would then kneel and kiss it.
According to legend, the stone tends to register several degrees colder than the ones surrounding it. Since I have always been intrigued by the supernatural, I had to see for myself and sure enough, it was definitely much colder to the touch. I was quickly convinced. As I finish up my second year of graduate school I plan to continue my own ritual, that I have maintained all through my time here. At the close of every semester I will stop in solo, and sit quietly awhile with St. Joan.
“I just would just love to have more of Milwaukee know about this gem here in the middle of a city and come and see a building that is older than the United States itself.” — Ann Hilbert
For additional information regarding the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, visit our 50th anniversary celebration reflection. For a guided tour of all of the sacred spaces on campus, visit http://marquette.edu/sacred-spaces