Chapel
Changing
Times
In the 1960s,
decisions made during Vatican
II changed the appearance of the interior of the chapel. The
services within the Roman Catholic Church were transformed, so that
the priests faced the congregation as they spoke, rather than turning
to face the altar. This meant that some of the furniture at the
front of the chapel was removed, or replaced to accommodate the
new practices. The attitudes towards elaborate decoration within
Catholic churches also changed at that time, with feelings that
the decor should be simple.
The plans for
the renovations were arranged at the Bishop’s house and were executed
by the maintenance men at the Academy. Much of the ornamental painting,
including the gilded carvings, was painted over at St. Ann’s. The
Stations of the Cross, the series of relief panels hanging on the
side walls, were given a grey coat of paint to subdue their appearance.
Many of the Sisters were torn by these changes. They wanted the
new attitudes and thinking that went along with Vatican
II, yet it hurt them to see their beloved chapel disturbed.
A Sister spoke for many of the women at the convent at the time
when she stated, “We thought this was a violation of history and
archives.” Yet, she also felt that the essential religious atmosphere
had not changed because of those renovations of the 1960s.
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