Chapel

From the beginning of the planning of the College campus, the student body had requested that the Chapel be the first building constructed, and they asked that it be American colonial in style. The Chapel, made of Bedford Indiana limestone and a steel and concrete frame, sits on the highest point on campus overlooking the Mississippi River. Students of any religious affiliation are welcome to visit the Chapel. During the academic year, the Chapel is home to the Christian Science Organization (CSO), a student-led college organization open to all students, faculty, and staff. Consistent with Christian Science tradition, CSO offers a Sunday church service and Wednesday testimony meeting each week that take place in the Chapel. CSO also partners with student clubs, faculty, and staff to host a weekly Sunday Evening Sing. In all its activities, CSO strives to foster a welcoming spirit for all, to nurture the study and practice of Christian Science on campus, and to bring a deeper sense of spirituality into Principia’s learning and community life. The Chapel supports this spiritual purpose. The Chapel also hosts other community events such as concerts and spiritual talks, including Christian Science lectures. The Chapel houses a 1998 Martin Ott mechanical pipe organ, 39-bell carillon, and piano, and a Study Room for quiet prayer and reflection.