Spiritual Spaces

Ford Memorial Chapel

History

Built more than a century ago, Ford Memorial Chapel was a gift of John Baptiste Ford in memory of his wife Mary and was dedicated in June 1902. With an exterior of Cleveland sandstone, the structure featured a pipe organ and beautiful colored glass windows – gothic windows on the north and south, a rose window to the east, and smaller windows in the chancel area, facing west.

In September 1918, Ford Chapel gained a set of Deagan tower chimes, a gift from alumni to mark the 25th year of William Crawford’s presidency. The chimes were refurbished in 2018, making them the oldest intact, functioning set of Deagan tower chimes in the country. The chimes are played throughout the week when classes are in session, and for special occasions such as Commencement and Alumni Weekend. * Chimes are temporarily inoperable as they are currently undergoing maintenance.

Various interior changes were made over the years, including a drastic change to the chancel area that removed the wood and plaster detail and plastered over the decorative windows. A renovation in 1993 uncovered the windows, and a 2009 project restored some of the wood and plaster decorative work, as well as refinishing the woodwork throughout the building and installing replicas of the original chandeliers.

The Chapel has hosted musical concerts from its early years, and during the 1930’s it housed the music program that was begun under Morten Luvaas. A large gathering space adjacent to the sanctuary served as Luvaas’s office and classroom, earning it the name of the Oratory, which it still bears today.

Throughout its history, Ford Chapel has been a popular site for weddings, as befits John Ford’s dedication of the building to his beloved wife.

Programming

Ford Chapel is used for weekly worship during the school year, with Roman Catholic Mass Sunday at 6:30 pm and occasional Protestant services. Other worship events include periodic praise and worship services, Lenten services, and a candlelight Christmas service. The Chapel hosts college-wide ceremonies, including initiation services and the College Honors Convocation.

With a seating capacity of 400, this warm, inviting space continues to be a popular site for recitals and concerts, as well as lectures. Over the years, Ford Chapel has hosted such renowned speakers as anthropologist Margaret Mead (1954, 1976, 1977), feminists Betty Friedan (1964) and Gloria Steinem (1971), and Civil Rights leaders Bayard Rustin (1952, 1961) and Rosa Parks (1987). Poets Robert Frost (1924), Maya Angelou (1974), Gwendolyn Brooks (1981), and Nikki Giovanni (1991), have also spoken here. Artistic guests include modern dance pioneers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn (1923), “American Gothic” painter Grant Wood (1940), and dramatist and playwright Emlyn Williams (1967). In addition to annual performances by the Alexander String Quartet (1990-present), pianist and composer Percy Grainger (1948), the Guarneri String Quartet (1976), and blues musician Taj Mahal (1990) have performed in Ford Chapel.

Although the Music Department now has quarters elsewhere, the Oratory still provides space for Allegheny Christian Outreach (ACO) meetings, receptions, and other events. The building is also available as quiet space for members of the campus community to study, pray, or reflect.

The Chapel is open to students who are looking for a quiet place to pray or meditate from 7 am to 11 pm weekdays and 7 am to 5 pm weekends, unless it is reserved for an event.

Jewish Community Center

Allegheny Hillel enjoys a close relationship with Meadville’s small Jewish community and rents space in the Jewish Community Center (JCC), located at the northwest corner of campus at the intersection of Park Avenue and Allegheny Street. A designated room for Hillel is furnished with comfy couches and offers space for meetings, social events, and studying. A larger room with a bimah at one end and kosher kitchen at the other provides space for Shabbat services and dinners.

With roots going back to 1866, the present JCC dates to the 1930s when Jewish leaders in the community began to gather for religious and social activities. They affiliated with B’Nai Brith in 1935, and a women’s auxiliary was formed soon thereafter. In 1952 they began efforts to construct the current building, which held its first worship services for the High Holidays in 1955. JCC members collaborate with Hillel for joint High Holiday services and attend Hillel Shabbats and other events.

Prayer and Meditation (PAM) Retreat

The Prayer and Meditation (PAM) Retreat is a centrally located, free-standing house that provides space for Allegheny’s Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim communities and others practicing meditation. The main floor has common gathering rooms, including a full kitchen, where Islamic Cultural Association, Meditation Club, South Asian Student Society, and other groups host events for the campus community and where Muslims gather for lunch on Friday, prior to Jum’ah prayers.

The second floor has designated rooms for each group’s practice, providing individuals and small groups with a quiet alternative to dorm rooms or space in multi-use buildings. In choosing the name, students emphasized how the space functions as a “retreat” from the busy-ness of campus, where they can get away for a period of reflection and prayer.

Students who would like to use the prayer rooms or meditation space can request access using this form.

a group of people with legs crossed sitting in a circle

a student talking to two other students in a room with sheer red curtains

The Grove

The Grove is an outdoor space where students can spend time alone or in small groups and enjoy the spiritual richness of nature. Pagan students and others are welcome to use the space for individual practice and meditation.

Located in the ravine behind the Wise Center, The Grove can be accessed by a footpath off the parking lot beside Allegheny Commons (on Limber Road). Please note that the path is not maintained during snowy weather. For the enjoyment of all, we ask that all users help to keep the spot free of litter and debris.

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