Construction work on Thompson Memorial Chapel concluded on Oct. 10 following renovations that kept it closed since June 16. The construction included the addition of a new bathroom on the main floor and installation of a new heating system throughout the building. Religious services resumed on Oct. 12.
The Chapel serves as the convening place for Christian, Hindu, and Muslim groups on campus. The lower level includes designated prayer rooms for the Islamic, Hindu, and Catholic faiths, as well as Muslim, Christian, and interfaith common rooms, and an interfaith kitchen.
Since its construction in 1905, the Chapel has undergone two major renovations. The first was an exterior restoration in 1964, and the second was a major restoration project in 2004 for the Centennial Celebration. The building regularly undergoes minor renovations like the one over this past summer. Shaun Garvey, Facilities Senior Project Manager, headed the project. “We are currently planning the next phases of a more comprehensive restoration effort,” Garvey wrote in an email to the Record.
While construction was wrapping up in September, religious groups on campus had to search for other spaces to commune. Pauline Kang ’26, co-president of the Williams Christian Fellowship, said she was disappointed in the initial lack of support and communication from the Chaplains’ Office and Facilities. “I believe that the college should have given each religious group an alternative dedicated space while the construction was going on, or at least a month in advance of notice,” Kang wrote in an email to the Record.
Garvey wrote, “[The Office of Planning, Design, and Construction] followed all standard protocols in communicating the project leading up to its start; issuing several notices via the two primary modes of campus communication: Daily Messages and Construction Activity Notices.” The Chaplain’s Office did not respond to the Record when asked for a comment on their communication with student religious organizations.
Vanya Funez ’26, co-president of Williams Catholic, said she appreciated the support from College Chaplain, Director of Catholic Life Bridget Powers, during the process. The organization relocated its services from Thompson to Griffin with Powers’ support. Funez said that Powers also helped with finding a space to host board meetings and rosary prayers.
Weekly Mass maintained an attendance of about 80 to 90 people during the relocation, according to Funez. The Muslim Student Union (MSU), however, noticed a substantial decrease in community engagement, particularly among first-years, according to MSU Co-Chair Alyse Sayed ’26.
Sayed said the construction, which obstructed access to the Muslim Common Room in the Chapel, put a strain on community building. “It’s not the same,” she said. “The musalla has the traditional prayer mats that you’d see in any mosque … it has our bookshelf with all of our Qurans and all other books that teach you about Islam, and has a bathroom that is intended for you to be able to make wudu… I would say there’s not a lot of spaces here for Muslim students, and [the Muslim Common Room] is our one space.”
Kang explained that the Christian Fellowship also noticed a strain on resources due to the change. “We depended heavily on Room 3 [in Thompson Chapel], since we held most of our events, including weekly Bible study groups and worship sessions,” she wrote. “It also was important logistically as a storage space for our instruments, Bibles, supplies, books, etc,” she continued.
During the renovation, the Fellowship instead hosted events in Goodrich Hall. In order to accommodate larger numbers of students, the Fellowship has continued to host its worship sessions in Goodrich even after the Chapel reopened. “We decided to keep our worship sessions in Goodrich due to the lack of space in Room 3, which is another issue, given that Protestant Life is largest among the religious groups in the college,” Kang wrote.
Sayed said that the relocation highlighted the MSU’s longstanding challenges with finding space to gather. “You don’t see as many Muslim bodies congregating on this campus because our spaces are small,” she said. “And it’s kind of hindering our community from being as prosperous and lively as I think it could be.”
Williams Catholic expressed difficulties replacing their spaces in Thompson Memorial, but ultimately found some benefits to the temporary relocation. “The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament was a space that I personally used a lot to go and pray and meditate,” Funez said. “I’ve come to appreciate that space a lot more. We’re now going to offer adoration in there, which is not something that had been done before.”
Funez added that Williams Catholic hosted its first outdoor Mass on Oct. 5, at Stone Hill. “It was an opportunity that we probably would have not taken advantage of had we still been in Thompson,” she said.
