 The Chapel Program at All Saints' Westboro was born out of the visioning process that accompanied the first "Christian Community in Action" campaign in the late 1990s. The vision was to create a place of spiritual nurture for spiritual seekers of all kinds, with an emphasis on those no longer part of the church. The feeling was that in our Chapel of the Holy Spirit we had a special place (a thin place in Celtic thought) that was being under used, and that would be a splendid venue for much of this.
We began by opening the chapel doors for quiet meditation during the week-day noon hours. A sound system (locked in a gun cabinet) was installed to provide music. A group of faithful volunteer hosts have kept this ministry going ever since. Gradually members of the broader community have discovered the welcome that hey will receive when the pop their heads in the door.
With the help of a committee and then a program planning group, the Chapel Programs have emerged in four categories:
1. Programs
2. Concerts
3. Special Liturgies
4. Art Exhibitions
1. Programs: They have ranged from the weekly opportunity to explore Christian Meditation to Book Studies and arts based experiences. The criteria is competent spirit-sensitive leadership and participants who want to learn and grow.
2. Concerts: We began with a eclectic mix of performers, all of whom fell in love with the chapel as a performance space, and readily responded to the invitation to present programs that spoke about God's spirit working in and through them. Some of our own 'home-grown" talent have offered Celtic evenings and benefit concerts. In recent years, we have been approached by groups looking for performing opportunities.
3. Special Liturgies: These respond to special needs and interests. The Wednesday Eucharist and weekday Evening Prayer continues, to which has been added the Blue Christmas Service every year in December, a special service on World AIDS Day, and Jazz Vespers on the first Sunday of the month. A St. Patrick's Celebration has become a Celtic Vespers. We have had special liturgies for children, Seniors, victims of violence...That Labyrinth has been a focus of special liturgies, especially at the seasonal equinoxes.
4. Art Exhibitions: We have hosted a variety of exhibits. The art exhibition based on the stations of the cross was offered to us, we came to appreciate the chapel as an exhibition space. A number of members of the parish worked for a year on fabric art we now call "Sacred Threads" which graces the walls for part of the year and is available to other parishes at other times (If you know of possible venues, please let our office know.) David Jones has used the chapel to exhibit his paintings as part of the West End Studio Tour and in June we hosted an exhibition of work of "H'Art of Ottawa, a program for disabled artists. We also hosted the "Re-Weaving a Life" exhibit which gave awareness for the need for clean water in areas of Mexico.
 To accommodate the variety of uses, the pews have been made movable and some beautiful new furniture added to the chapel space.
The Spirit continues to move in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Upcoming Chapel Events
History of the Chapel of The Holy Spirit
|