About Bell Chapel (Our Lady of the Lakes Parish) · Carrabassett, Maine
Bell Chapel (also known as the R.C. Bell Chapel or Richard Bell Interfaith Chapel) is a small Catholic mission chapel located at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. It is a mission of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc and serves the Sugarloaf ski-resort community with a Saturday 4:30 p.m. Mass during ski season (December through March). Built in 1968 by a small group of Sugarloaf Ski Club members led by local businessman Richard (R.C.) Bell, it is one of a very few 'ski-in, ski-out' chapels in North America and is also shared with the interfaith Sugarloaf Area Christian Ministry for year-round Protestant worship, weddings, christenings, and memorial services.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Richard (R.C.) Bell
- Rector
- Rev. Brittoraj Amalogam, HGN (Parish Administrator, Our Lady of the Lakes Parish)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in Maine
Why belong here
Bell Chapel offers the rare gift of a Catholic Mass at the base of a major ski resort — making it possible for vacationers, seasonal residents, and Sugarloaf employees to keep holy the Sabbath without leaving the mountain, December through March. As a mission of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, it connects visitors and locals to a four-church rural mountain parish (Our Lady of the Lakes in Oquossoc, St. Luke in Rangeley, St. John in Stratton, and Bell Chapel at Sugarloaf) that worships together across the western Maine highland region and welcomes newcomers warmly to its small, close-knit community.
Mass times at Bell Chapel (Our Lady of the Lakes Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Bell Chapel
Bell Chapel was built in 1968 at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain through the efforts of six Sugarloaf Ski Club members led by local businessman Richard (R.C.) Bell, who wanted a 'ski-in, ski-out' interfaith worship space on the mountain. Before the chapel was built, both Catholic and Protestant Sunday services were squeezed into the 'Pack Sack' picnic area in the Sugarloaf base-lodge basement. In 1986 the building was renamed the Richard Bell Chapel to honor Bell's fundraising leadership. The chapel is held and maintained by an independent trust overseen by a board of Bell family members and community trustees.
- 1968 — Chapel completed and opened for worship.
- 1982 — Sugarloaf Area Christian Ministry founded; begins sharing the chapel for non-denominational services.
- 1986 — Building renamed the Richard Bell Chapel in honor of R.C. 'Dick' Bell.
- 1988 — Dick Bell's daughter Elizabeth 'Buffy' Bell writes a public statement of the chapel's mission.
- 2008 — Double-lock standing-seam metal roof installed.
- 2017–2018 — 50th anniversary celebrated; major fundraising campaign launched.
- 2020–2022 — Comprehensive structural, weather, and systems renovations completed.
Bell Chapel and Our Lady of the Lakes Parish
Bell Chapel is one of four mission churches that together form Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in the Diocese of Portland. The parish was established in 1927 with the original Our Lady of the Lakes Church in Oquossoc. The parish now includes Our Lady of the Lakes Church (Oquossoc), St. Luke Church (Rangeley), St. John Church (Stratton), and Bell Chapel at Sugarloaf. The parish is currently administered by Rev. Brittoraj Amalogam, HGN, who was appointed July 1, 2025.
- Our Lady of the Lakes Church — 39/43 Rangeley Avenue, Oquossoc (parish center, established 1927)
- St. Luke Church — Rangeley, Maine
- St. John Church — Stratton, Maine
- Bell Chapel — 5085 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley (Sugarloaf base)
Interfaith Worship and the Sugarloaf Area Christian Ministry
From its very beginning Bell Chapel was conceived as an interfaith space, and the Sugarloaf Area Christian Ministry (SACM) — an American Baptist–affiliated ministry founded in 1982 — has used the building for non-denominational worship since the 1980s. SACM holds Sunday services at 9:00 AM year-round, with Zoom and outdoor options in summer at The AMP or the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. The ministry also runs community events such as Sunday luncheons and the Blessing of the Animals.
- SACM Sunday worship — 9:00 AM year-round
- Sunday Luncheons — noon following ski-season worship
- Blessing of the Animals — annual fall event
- Our Daily Bread devotional booklets — free, distributed at the chapel
Architecture, Building, and Recent Renovations
Bell Chapel is a compact mountain chapel built in 1968 in a style suited to its harsh Sugarloaf setting. The interior includes a worship space, sacristy, confessional, and meeting room. A new double-lock standing-seam metal roof was installed in 2008. Beginning around 2017, a multi-year capital campaign funded extensive structural and weather-protection work — new sills, doors, windows, and decks — plus a full overhaul of the electrical, plumbing, and heating systems to make the building energy-efficient and comfortable in all seasons.
- Original 1968 construction by Sugarloaf Ski Club volunteers
- Sacristy, confessional, and meeting room within the building
- 2008 — new double-lock standing-seam metal roof
- 2017–2022 — sills, doors, windows, decks replaced
- 2017–2022 — electrical, plumbing, and heating systems overhauled
- Basement houses the Sugarloaf Ski Patrol first-aid clinic
Weddings, Christenings, and Memorial Services
Bell Chapel is a popular venue for weddings, christenings, and memorial services year-round. The chapel's mountain setting — with Sugarloaf rising behind it and ski lifts visible in winter — has made it a favorite backdrop for Sugarloaf destination weddings; local photographers regularly feature Bell Chapel ceremonies in published portfolios. Couples and families coordinate weddings and memorials through the Our Lady of the Lakes parish office in Oquossoc.
- Destination weddings — year-round by arrangement
- Christenings — year-round by arrangement
- Memorial services and celebrations of life — year-round by arrangement
- Officiants — Catholic priests of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish (e.g. Fr. Wilfred P. 'Bill' Labbe) and SACM ministers for non-Catholic ceremonies
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Wilfred P. 'Bill' Labbe
Officiated weddings and Catholic services at Bell Chapel while serving in the Diocese of Portland; ordained May 22, 1999; later assigned to St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, Sanford (2019).
- Fr. Anthony F. Kuzia, C.M. (Vincentian)circa 2019–2022
Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish (which includes Bell Chapel) as of 2019; native of Connecticut; ordained May 29, 1976; previously served in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Lisbon, Maine. Featured in National Catholic Register for winning a Catholic Charities St. Hildegard recipe contest.
- Fr. Sahaya Remgius, SACprior to July 2025
Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc immediately preceding the 2025 reassignment.
- Fr. Brittoraj Amalogam, HGNJuly 1, 2025 – present
Current Parish Administrator of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc and Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Farmington, and St. Rose of Lima Parish, Jay. Member of the Heralds of Good News (Divine Mercy Province); native of India; ordained 2014 in the Diocese of Coimbatore.
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