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Chapel of the Beloved Disciple

At the heart of campus — and the SLUH experience — the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple invites students to encounter God, deepen their faith and grow as Men for Others.

Join Us for Morning Mass

We celebrate Mass at 7:45 a.m. on regular school days in the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple. Students, families and visitors are welcome to begin the day with us in prayer.

Sacred Art

Explore the Stunning new Chapel Murals

What Makes Our Chapel Unique?

SYMBOL & DESIGN

The SLUH Chapel was an integral part of the original campus construction in 1924...

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PATRONAGE

This “Beloved Disciple” appears several times in John’s Gospel...

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SLUH & THE BLESSED MOTHER

Throughout his life, St. Ignatius of Loyola had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary...

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STATUES & SHRINES

The former side-chapel altars have been decommissioned and are now available for private prayer and devotion...

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Learn About the Chapel Renovation
View Chapel Dedication Photos

Learn About the Chapel Renovation

The SLUH Chapel renovation, completed in early 2024, opened up the skylights, allowing for the originally intended natural light to fill the space for the first time since the 1927 tornado. Moreover, it has allowed SLUH to make more efficient use of space, create positive environmental impact and reaffirm the school commitment to vocations and creating leaders for the Church.

By renovating the main Chapel and creating the St. Peter Faber, SJ Campus Ministry Center, SLUH was able to:

Make more efficient use of space. Reducing the size of the Chapel created a more intimate, and appropriately-sized worship space, while allowing the Campus Ministry program to consolidate its service and retreat programs nearby. The renovation created new academic department offices on the second floor.
Create positive environmental impact. A new roof and updated, energy-efficient HVAC systems contribute to sustainable long-term use of resources. Reducing environmental impact is an important aspect of the Jesuit, Catholic school identity.
Reaffirm commitment to vocations and Ignatian identity. The beauty and prominence of the Chapel speaks to students as powerfully and effectively as any inspired lecture. The centrality of the Sacred in the renovated chapel, and a new Campus Ministry center, makes vocation promotion a top priority.
Realize intangible value. Reimagining and updating the Chapel and Campus Ministry center captures the eyes and the hearts of students. Simultaneously, it renewed the central sacred space of the school so that all students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni will experience SLUH as a place of encounter with God.

View Chapel Dedication Photos

The Empty Tomb

In gratitude to the leading donors of the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple, SLUH commissioned Norwegian calligrapher Helene Jenssen to create an original work of art in devotion to the Beloved Disciple. Spiraling outward from the central image of the empty tomb are these verses from St. John’s Gospel (20:3-8):

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

This highly stylized script is repeated three times: first in Greek, the original language of the Gospel; second, in Latin, the language of the Roman Catholic Church and an homage to the history of SLUH as a school for Classical study; and finally English, lingua franca for study and evangelization in St. Louis, Missouri in 2024.

SLUH is honored to express appreciation for donors who made gifts of at least $75,000 by dedicating specific features of the chapel in their honor.