Rector’s eNews 20 : 19 June 2024
/ UncategorizedWe are delighted to announce that, after many months of planning, our Chapel Extension Project will commence in the school holidays. Since our earliest days, the Michaelhouse Chapel has been at the heart of our school. This sacred space is where our community gathers to share joys and sorrows, providing both a quiet refuge and a place of vibrant connection.
Founded by James Cameron Todd as an Anglican Christian school, Michaelhouse has long centered its identity around the Chapel, which has served as the spiritual and geographic heart of the campus. In times of rapid change in the world, the Chapel remains a vital source of hope and continuity for our boys and staff, reinforcing our values and traditions.
The incremental growth in the number of boys at Michaelhouse has rendered the Chapel too small to safely accommodate our needs. The current seating limitations hinder our ability to gather as a whole, and alternative venues on campus fail to offer the same dedicated environment for worship and community events. Technology, while useful, cannot replace the unity and shared experience of the physical presence of all the boys in the Chapel.
This is not the first time Michaelhouse has outgrown its Chapel. The existing Chapel, dedicated in 1952, was an extension of an earlier building, itself a replacement for original worship spaces. With thoughtful architectural planning, the contemporary expansion can be achieved while preserving the Chapel’s beauty and intimacy, and ensuring it remains a relevant and cherished space for future generations.
The extension project will be completed by the beginning of the Michaelmas Term in 2025. For the rest of 2024, worship will continue in the Chapel and, from the beginning of 2025, for a period of around 6 months, services will take place either in the Schlesinger Theatre, the Indoor Centre or the newly renovated amphitheatre.
Whilst the majority of the extension project is fully funded, thanks to a few generous benefactors from the Old Boys community, we would like to offer the opportunity to the broader Michaelhouse community to be involved in supporting this project by contributing to the new pews for the extended Chapel. It may be that a family or an Old Boy or an individual in our broader community could be recognised in this way. Membership of the Chairman’s Club (which is geared to contribute to funding for the boys needing financial assistance) is usually set at the bar of R50k and would be discounted if combined with a contribution to a pew.
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