STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — On August 17, Franciscan University of Steubenville reopened Christ the King Chapel, following a 15-month renovation and expansion that affirms the chapel’s role as the spiritual heart of campus and a living catechesis for all who enter its doors.

Franciscan’s chapel has nearly doubled its seating capacity—from 325 to 590—to better accommodate the growing student population and has added a new altar and tabernacle, new sacred art, and stained-glass windows to beautify the space.

The $16.5 million renovation project caps off the University’s historic Rebuild My Church Capital Campaign, which raised $126.1 million for enhancements to academic programs, student scholarships, outreach programs, and new and renovated buildings.

A Mass of Solemn Blessing, presided over by Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Edward M. Lohse, was held on Sunday. The special Mass included an anointing and consecration of the new altar and a deposition of the relics of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thecla, St. Agnes, St. Lucy, St. Barbara, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Agatha, and St. Apollonia.

In his homily, Bishop Lohse reflected on the meaning of blessing a chapel, reminding the faithful that the beauty of a sacred space is meant to point beyond itself to Christ and to the worshipping community. Drawing from Scripture, he emphasized that while the physical beauty of the chapel is a visible sign, the true temple is Christ himself, and the faithful are called to become “living stones built into that temple, which is Christ.”

“The beauty of this sacred edifice should reflect the even greater beauty of the community which gathers here to worship,” Bishop Lohse said, urging those present to recognize that the chapel’s significance lies not only in its architecture but also in the faith and devotion of the people who pray within its walls. “Here, at this altar, heavenly realities will commingle with those of earth. We will bring forth the work of human hands, bread and wine, and we will receive back the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.”

He concluded by entrusting the care and ministry of the chapel to the Franciscan community, invoking the intercession of the virgin martyrs, St. Francis, St. Clare, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, that Christ the King Chapel may be a place where heaven and earth meet in worship and grace.

Originally constructed in 1969, Christ the King Chapel has served generations of students, staff, faculty, friars, alumni, and visitors as the center of sacramental and liturgical life on campus. With the growth of the University and increasing need for expanded seating and ministry space, the vision for a comprehensive chapel renewal took shape under the leadership of Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, the University’s seventh president.

During his remarks on Sunday, Father Pivonka said he is always amazed by just how many people around the world care so deeply about what the University was going to do with Christ the King Chapel.

“What we do here at Franciscan University matters. People all over the country and all over the world pay attention to what’s happening here because so many lives have been transformed here. There are countless men and women who encountered the Lord in this chapel, and their lives were never the same” Father Pivonka said. “I believe the Church and this country needs this little chapel, needs this campus, and needs the men and women who are going to experience the Lord’s grace, conversion, and transformation here in this place.”

Over the decades, Christ the King Chapel became more than just a building. Though modest in design, it stood as a witness to countless conversions, vocations, confessions, and encounters with Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

“It was never beautiful by worldly standards,” said Father Pivonka. “But it was holy. Students encountered Christ there. Many, like me, heard the Lord’s call to the priesthood or religious life within those walls.”

That sacred legacy guided the University’s decision not to demolish the original structure but to preserve and expand it, echoing the layered beauty of the churches in Assisi, where St. Francis built upon what had come before, never discarding the past.

Father Jonathan St. André, TOR, vice president for Franciscan Life, harkened back to the spirit of St. Francis during his remarks preceding the symbolic opening of the chapel doors on Sunday morning.

“Just over 800 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi found himself drawn to God in the heart of the Church by rebuilding not one but four chapels in the area around Assisi. It was in the rebuilding and renovation of chapels that St. Francis experienced the Holy Spirit touching his life in a deeper way,” Father St. André said. “We, the Franciscans of the 21st century, seeking to follow Our Lord Jesus Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis, felt the inspiration of that same Spirit to renovate Christ the King Chapel. It fills me with joy today to share this opportunity for all of us as a worshipping community to enter this Church, to enter this place where God will always be present to us in the Eucharist.”

Every element of the renovation project was designed to teach the faith, draw hearts to Christ, and reflect the Franciscan values of simplicity and beauty.

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a majestic mural of Christ the King, painted by Franciscan alumna and art professor Amber (Pitts) Knorr. Beneath it, a Tau cross embedded in the floor recalls St. Francis’ call to ongoing conversion.

The baptismal font, carved from Egyptian marble and positioned at the entrance to the nave, recalls ancient Church architecture and the believer’s entry into the Christian life. The sanctuary has been significantly expanded to reflect the sacred mysteries it holds, with a deep blue ceiling adorned with golden stars—symbolizing heaven and God’s covenant with Abraham.

Throughout the chapel, stained-glass windows designed by Franciscan alumnus and art professor Carl Fougerousse and created with students in Gaming, Austria, tell the story of the Gospel and the Franciscan tradition. Images of Saints Francis, Clare, Bonaventure, and Maximilian Kolbe blend seamlessly with depictions of the Sacred Heart and the Holy Spirit. Many Franciscan alumni contributed to the restoration of a rose window that came from a decommissioned church in Pittsburgh and now has a new home in Christ the King Chapel.

“The goal was not only to build a beautiful chapel but also to create a space that forms souls, teaches the faith, and brings the Church’s great story to life through every image, stone, and symbol,” Father Pivonka said.

The renovated chapel also includes three new side chapels dedicated to Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as four confessionals and multiple areas for private prayer and devotion.

Expanded sacristies, rehearsal rooms for music ministry, and a dedicated home for the University’s Schola Cantorum Franciscana and pipe organ ensure the chapel can continue serving the practical needs of campus worship.

Even the plaza outside the chapel will be transformed, with a statue of Christ the King, gardens, statuary, and personalized bricks forming a welcoming entry into the liturgical heart of the University. The plaza will be completed later this fall.

“I am grateful to our generous alumni and friends whose vision and support have given us this beautifully renewed chapel for our Franciscan University community,” Father Pivonka said. “Our greatest hope is that this chapel will form saints—men and women who will love Christ, follow him, and carry his grace into the world. May it always be a place of encounter, conversion, and community, and may it glorify the one whose holy name it bears.”

To view the Mass of Solemn Blessing of Christ the King Chapel, click here. A gallery of photos from the chapel and the Mass can be found here.