The Heart of Campus

The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is the heart of the Marquette University campus. It is a place of community, especially in times of joy and sorrow. It has been the site of emotional candlelit vigils and of political protests. It draws people of all backgrounds and faiths. The Chapel hosts regular Masses that often test the capacity of the diminutive structure.

Beyond its role as a spiritual center the Chapel is an important focus of academic learning and discovery, featured in numerous classes and exhibitions. It has been used as a major art collecting and display center on campus, and still functions in that vein today.

The structure tells a story of Christian faith, of longing and suffering, and of the hope of real people through centuries; symbolized in the life of St. Joan of Arc. It is represented in the graffiti carved by pilgrims in the original Chapel stone, by the sacred art contained within, and it is expressed through the Marquette community members who have celebrated the Sacraments within for over 50 years.

Despite the immeasurable changes that have occurred outside its walls during the past 600 years, St. Joan of Arc Chapel still serves the same purpose its builders intended in 1420: It beats as the heart of the living, Catholic, Jesuit community that surrounds it.

If you would like to make a gift towards the St. Joan of Arc Chapel restoration, please visit our online giving site.