A 116-foot-high Gothic tower; 114 stained-glass windows; enough pews to seat 540 Massgoers. Christendom College’s new Christ the King Chapel in Front Royal is a magnificent feat of architecture. Just as impressive is the community effort that went into building this beautiful place of worship.
Alumni, faculty, students, benefactors and other members of the community came together in a labor of love and contributed their particular gifts, skills and strengths.
“It’s been amazing to see in the last few months how many alumni craftsmen stepped forward to help us finish the chapel,” said Vice President of Advancement Paul Jalsevac.
One of those alumni was Corey Morgan, who owns his own woodworking business. Using walnut wood taken from Christendom’s own grounds, Morgan crafted hardwood floors, trim, paneling, and detailing in the chapel. Some of the walnut can be seen in the floor, on the confessionals, and in the decorative trim work and doors in the chapel vestibule and narthex.
Mandy Hain was another Christendom graduate who contributed her talents to the chapel. Sadly, Hain passed away a few months before the chapel was completed. However, in the time before her death, she left her mark.
Hain painted the crossing tower ceiling and the beautiful “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” written on it. She also worked on the gold leaf detail for the phrase “This is the House of God and Gate of Heaven,” inscribed over the chapel entrance.
Christendom graduates put their skills to work outside the chapel. Cornerstone Construction, owned by Front Royal resident Chris McMahon who employs several Christendom alumni, oversaw work on the piazza in front of the chapel. Subcontractor Jorge Cortez completed most of the masonry for the space.
Cornerstone worked on projects within the chapel too, such as the concrete foundation for the main altar, the sanctuary platform framing and the choir loft ceiling.
Morgan, Hain and the Cornerstone crew were just some of the alumni who contributed to the chapel. Many more talented and dedicated alumni also devoted their time, talent, and treasure to this sacred project. And it wasn’t just alumni.
English professor Sharon Hickson contributed to the interior decoration. She joined Hain up on the scaffolding to paint the ceiling above the main altar, and she also helped paint the gold crowns on top of the chapel’s main tower. Hain had planned to refurbish the Stations of the Cross. After Hain became ill, Hickson, her daughters Kristin Uhlenkott and Bridget Hickson, and Christina Muller took over the task.
It was a much-needed project. Originally crafted in Germany, the stations were more than 100 years old and badly in need of restoration. Some of the figures were missing hands and fingers and the paint had faded. Although Hain could not assist physically, she continued to give guidance for how to approach the restoration.
“It was very special for us to be carrying on her task,” Hickson said. “We really felt very much that Mandy was involved, at least in inspiration.”
Hickson was struck by how the new chapel brought so many in the community together.
“What was remarkable to me was the number of different people who worked on the chapel,” she said, noting that even children such as her grandkids and local students helped with the painting. She draws a parallel between the construction of the chapel and medieval cathedrals.
“The whole idea of a Gothic cathedral was to have a whole community and generations of community working together on something beautiful for God. So, in many ways it was just a privilege to be working along with other alumni and families.”
While many people played important hands-on roles in building the chapel, just as important was the support of Christendom’s generous benefactors. These members of the Christendom family made the chapel possible through their prayers and financial support. Benefactors sponsored sacred art that spoke to their own spiritual devotions. One person helped restore the Good Shepherd Window because she loved Psalm 23 and the image of Christ the Good Shepherd. Another sponsored a stained-glass window dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence because she is the patroness of Puerto Rico, his homeland.
“Each person’s personalities and God-given gifts are expressed in this chapel,” said Jalsevac. “In its beauty, in the many dedicated items that reflect people’s spiritual devotions and those they wish to remember, in the labors so many put in to make this chapel possible.”
Reflecting on the years to come, Hickson said, “I think (the chapel) is going to be a vibrant center of spirituality and inspiration and consolation and peace and beauty for our students and for the whole community.”
