Mater Dei Chapel

This stunningly inspiring space is the spiritual and communal centerpiece of our campus and is the setting for commissioning and pinning ceremonies, lecture programs, memorial observances, and worship services throughout the year. Mount students begin their time at the university druing a moving candle-lighting ceremony here, and conclude it with a Baccalaureate Mass in the chapel just before commencement.

Over the past six decades, more than 470 couples have commenced married life by vowing their lives to one another in this sacred space. We invite you to tour the chapel at your leisure, paying special attention to the stained-glass windows, crucifix, stations of the cross, statuary, and other exquisite artwork. All of it was designed by six women—three Sisters of Charity and three undergraduate art students —in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, a time when women were all but absent from leadership roles in the professional worlds of architecture, art, and design, let alone the creation of religious spaces.

In March 2024, under the guidance of then Chief Mission Officer Sister Karen Elliott, C.PP.S., the Chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places.  It was recognized for its historical and cultural significance – as the first chapel created by all women in the 1960s, and the only one created by faculty and undergraduate students at a US Catholic college or university -- as well as its architectural value, in the mid-century modern (MCM) style. 

 Restore Mater Dei Chapel

Take a virtual tour of the Mater Dei Chapel and other facilities at Mount St. Joseph University.

Launch Experience

The Mater Dei Chapel

Mater Dei Chapel has served as a focal point at the Mount since its completion in 1962, and as a testiment to Mount St. Joseph University's Catholic Heritage and its commitment to providing meaningful student experiences. The Mater Dei (which means Mother of God) Chapel is a two-story, mid-century modern style collegiate chapel located on Mount St. Joseph University’s campus. The interior of the Chapel is adorned with mid-century liturgical works of art that have a high degree of artistic value.

The overall interior design of Mater Dei Chapel and its associated works of art were fabricated under the direction of the University’s art department chair and Sister of Charity, Sister Augusta Zimmer, SC. The original Chapel design was proposed by the campus architect, L.P. Cotter, in 1958. Sister Augusta, along with three Mount St. Joseph University students, Margaret Rolfes Brungs ’60, Judith Dettenwanger Ebbeler ’61, and Marlene Hoffman ’61, are responsible for the interior design, furnishings, and works of art within Mater Dei Chapel. Sister Augusta was assisted by Sister Ann Austin Mooney, SC, and Sister Loretta Ann McCarty, SC, who also contributed liturgical art to the newly constructed chapel.

On March 4, 2024, the Mater Dei Chapel was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of The Interior. In celebration of this recognition, the University created a documentary about the Chapel titled MATER DEI CHAPEL: A Story of Sacred Art & Inspirational Women. In this film, Ebbeler ’61 and Brungs ’60 share stories of the design and creation of the Mater Dei Chapel. They also recount stories of Hoffman '61, Sister Augusta, and Sister Maria Corona Molloy. The introduction features Sister Judith Metz, SC, and Maddie Williams, MSA Design.

Watch the artists of the Mater Dei Chapel tell their story of its creation below.

A short was also produced, titled MATER DEI CHAPEL: The Journey to the National Register—featuring Metz, SC, and Williams. They provide an overview of the unique history and creation of Mater Dei Chapel, as well as additional information on the National Register of Historic Places.

Watch the Mater Dei Chapel's history and journey to the National Register of Historic Places below.

Weddings in the Mater Dei Chapel

To be married at the Mater Dei Chapel, either the bride or the groom (or both) must be Catholic.  Weddings in the Mater Dei Chapel are by exception, since the usual place for a Catholic wedding is your home parish church.  Couples must obtain special permission from their pastor to have their wedding at Mater Dei Chapel.

Weddings are usually held during Ordinary Time or the Easter or Christmas seasons (avoiding Holy Days), but they can also be held during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. The bride or groom must be one of the following:

• An alumni of the university
• A current student at the university
• A faculty or staff member of the university or their children

Additional Guidelines and Information

The chapel seats 800 people. There is no food or drink permitted in the Chapel. All buildings and grounds of the University are smoke-free environments.

Mater Dei Chapel may also be rented out for other events, such as retreats and funerals. A portion of each rental fee for Mater Dei Chapel goes to the restoration fund for the Chapel.

Contact Information

For more information on renting Mater Dei Chapel for a wedding, please click our Wedding information form here, or submit a Wedding request form here.  For questions or for more information on renting Mater Dei Chapel for other events, please contact our Chief Mission Officer, Joe Shadle, at joe.shadle@msj.edu or 513-244-4844.

Watch a brief video highlighting the historic Mater Dei Chapel below: