Marish Chapel of St. Peter Chanel

As part of the redecorating project For Such a Time as This, we are creating an adoration chapel in the underutilized space to the right of the altar. In honor of Sacred Heart’s history and relationship with the Marist community (1), the chapel will be named – The Marist Chapel of St. Peter Chanel.

The above view is from the opened Sanctuary doors looking into the chapel toward the original stained glass windows on the south wall of the church. Please notice the original lantern from the church, there will actually be a second not shown here as well.

The chapel will be entered from the Sanctuary using the existing, refinished doors with the addition of stained glass, similar to these, to honor Bishop Gunn (1), our first pastor, and The Most Reverend Joel M. Konzen, S.M., Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta, and former president of Marist School. 

The chapel will include a beautiful stand for the monstrance, that is being fashioned from historic furnishings of the church, including alabastar columns and a marble top from the old tabernacle stand, and the brass front is from the old Ambo. This is in keeping with our goal is to create a welcoming environment that supports the various liturgies that occur within it, is balanced and appropriate for a Basilica, follows current liturgical guidelines, and respects the history of Sacred Heart. 

To comfortably accommodate those who wish to participate in adoration, prayer, or reflection in the chapel, it will include some chairs from the current Sanctuary, the pew used by Mother Teresa during her visit in 1995, and the refurbished historic brass prie-dieu kneelers that date from the early 1900s. They may appear in a layout similar to this:

Here is some detail of the still in process proposed decorating finish for the walls and ceiling. The floor will be of the same white Carrera marble that was used in the Sanctuary.

There will paintings of St. Peter Chanel and and St. Teresa of Calcutta, familiar to us as Mother Teresa, on the walls that flank the stand for the monstrance.

 Oil paintings by Cathy Ehrler, long-time Sacred Heart parishioner and local artist.

The Marist Chapel of St. Peter Chanel will provide a fitting and beautiful space where the Basilica parishioners and others can worship God through eucharistic adoration, and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our goal is to create a welcoming environment that supports the various liturgies that occur within it, is balanced and appropriate for a Basilica, follows current liturgical guidelines, and respects the history of Sacred Heart.

(1)History

In 1898, when the church moved into this building and was renamed the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Diocese, then in Savannah, asked the Marist community to lead the parish, and they assigned Father John Edward Gunn, S.M. as our first pastor.

Father Gunn was later ordained as the Bishop of the Diocese of Natchez, Mississippi. The Marists continued to serve the parish until the Marist School, which occupied what is now the parking lot we use, was relocated to its current location in 1962. St. Peter Chanel was a Marist priest and martyr.