New Chapel, Center Dedicated with Mass and Blessing

On Saturday the Rockhurst University community celebrated a joyous - and rare - occasion, with a Mass that included a consecration of the altar at the new Mabee Chapel and dedication of both that space and the Alvin Brooks Center for Faith-Justice on campus.

The event coincided with the annual Family and Alumni Weekend activities and a special occasion for the Society of Jesus.

"Today also marks the anniversary of the founding of the Jesuit order in 1540," said Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., president of Rockhurst University, in a welcome to those gathered. "How fitting that we dedicate this building symbolizing the values of the Society of Jesus. On this day, when the Jesuits gathered for their general congregation in 1975, they renewed their commitment to be faithful servants of justice. In the document titled Our Mission Today, they wrote, and I quote, 'The mission of the society of Jesus today is the service of faith of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.'"

The chapel and the center together represent a vision of a "faith that does justice." They are not only physically joined, but from a mission standpoint are two parts of the same whole. On one side are departments at the University focused on engaging students in service and partnership with our neighbors, offices for organizations KC Common Good and the Ignatian Spirituality Center, and spaces designed to foster collaboration in pursuit of community solutions, all bearing the name of Alvin Brooks, a living legend in Kansas City who has dedicated his life to fostering understanding and bridging divides. On the other side is an all-new 140-seat worship space for the campus community, featuring original artwork by the Rev. Arturo Araujo, S.J., depicting the Virgin Mary in four different cultural contexts. The Very Rev. James Johnston, bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said in his homily during the Mass that those depictions are wholly in keeping with the spirit of the chapel, the center and the University. Recalling the Gospel for the service, Bishop Johnston said Mary's willingness to serve God is echoed in the Jesuit motto, "ad majorem Dei gloriam" (AMDG), and in the Magnificat, the prayer derived from Mary's words in the Gospel of Luke upon meeting her cousin Elizabeth.

"It seems to be this is the perfect Marian trait to emphasize here at Rockhurst - a service of charity that brings the hidden presence of Christ into the challenges, the difficulties, and the sufferings of others, as you put it in your vision," he said. "It's a faith that does justice. I once heard it said that when we pray with our lips, we must also move our feet."

Bishop Johnston consecrated the alter at the chapel with chrism and incense and blessed the center with holy water. At the reception after the Mass, the center's namesake, Alvin Brooks, also talked about the long-awaited completion of the center and chapel, and praised what it represents to faith, to the community of Kansas City, and to the legacy he hopes will endure after he is gone.

"To be the descendant of enslaved people and to have this place, this special place, attached to what God and Christ is all about, is very special to me," he said.