The cross from the altar area of the Wren Chapel [at The College of William & Mary] has been removed to ensure that the space is seen as a nondenominational area, Melissa Engimann, assistant director for Historic Campus, said in an e-mail to Wren building employees.
“In order to make the Wren Chapel less of a faith-specific space, and to make it more welcoming to students, faculty, staff and visitors of all faiths, the cross has been removed from the altar area,” Engimann said.
The cross will be returned to the altar for those who wish to use it for events, services or private prayer. Student tour guides have been directed to pass any questions or complaints about the change on to administrators.
The cross was in place because of the College’s former association with the Anglican Church. Though the College is now nondenominational and became publicly supported in 1906, the room will still be considered a chapel.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Cross Removed to Make Wren Chapel Less "Faith-Specific"
News from that Virginia college (where I almost went to law school) named for a couple of protestant usurpers:
the cross has been removed from the altar area.
ReplyDeleteWhat altar? Nothing has EVER been sacrificed there!
There have bee Catholic Masses there. My sister's wedding Mass, for one.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm horrified and embarrassed for W&M.
Another little piece of Anglicanism dies, to paraphrase an old saying "a coward dies a thousand deaths,"
ReplyDeleteI'm a fellow convert and I graduated from W&M (and went to UVA for grad school. I am appalled by this and they are going to be hearing from me. Wish this news item had come out BEFORE I wrote them a check this year,
ReplyDelete