St. John’s Chapel rests in the center of Newman University. The chapel is located in Sacred Heart Hall. Being a setting for worship, it deserves to be well-polished, which is part of the reason it received a recent renovation.
J.V. Johnston, vice president for University Advancement, said, “Father (John) Fogliasso created a committee and got a couple of the ASC (Adorers of the Blood of Christ) sisters on it.
“He also got some other people, including Beth (Fatkin) and I, for fundraising. … It was probably one of the easiest things we ever fundraised for. we only got halfway through our list before we had raised the money.”
Fogliasso, former Newman University chaplain, had previously said, “I’m most excited for the chapel to be restored and enhanced back to its former dignity and beauty. The pictures of the chapel from the 1940s through the 1970s are incredible, so I’m very excited that the students will enjoy a space that is more worthy of the celebration of Mass.”
The entire process of renovating the chapel went smoothly, as the fundraising, planning and work were all done well. Johnston noted there were not only monetary donations but also donations of time and labor.
“It was all monetary except for the service of Nick (Dondlinger) and Father Fog. They sanded all the wood and restained it. They spent all of Christmas break and probably another six weeks doing that. They worked hard.”
Johnston said renovations included “re-painting the chapel, new pews, then redoing the altar area with a new ambo and a mostly new altar, and a new presider’s chair.”
He added that the old altar had some Latin carved into it by one of the ASC sisters and it was decided to retain that piece.
Other updates included new flooring for the altar carrying into the sacristy and repairing stained glass within the chapel.
