About Emmanuel College Chapel · Boston, Massachusetts
Emmanuel College Chapel is the Catholic chapel of Emmanuel College, a Catholic liberal arts institution founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1919 in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The chapel sits at the heart of the Eisner Administration Building at 400 The Fenway and has hosted more than a century of Masses, weddings, liturgies, and campus traditions. It is a Roman Rite chapel within the Archdiocese of Boston, overseen by the college's Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center for Mission and Ministry. The chapel welcomes students, faculty, staff, and visitors of all faith traditions to its worship life, including weekly Sunday and Wednesday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Emmanuel College Community Choir, and the Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
- Established
- 1919
- Rector
- Fr. Federico Cinocca, S.T.D. (Vice President of Mission and Ministry; not formally titled 'pastor' as the chapel is a college chapel rather than a territorial parish)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
The Emmanuel College Chapel offers a daily, student-centered rhythm of Catholic worship in the heart of Boston's Fenway neighborhood, with weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Emmanuel College Community Choir, and an active RCIA program. It is grounded in the educational and social-justice charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who founded Emmanuel in 1919, and is open to people of every faith tradition. The Mission and Ministry staff welcome students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors into lectoring, altar serving, Eucharistic Minister formation, retreats, Bible study, and the year-round calendar of special Masses from Welcome Mass through Baccalaureate.
Mass times at Emmanuel College Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration (scheduled; see Emmanuel College Chapel events calendar)
The Emmanuel College Chapel
The Emmanuel College Chapel is the spiritual and architectural heart of the Eisner Administration Building at 400 The Fenway, Boston. Located in the Fenway neighborhood adjacent to the Longwood Medical District, the Chapel has witnessed more than 100 years of Masses, liturgies, weddings, and campus traditions. Renovated in the 1990s and documented in the College's pamphlet The Chapel Speaks (2000), the Chapel continues to serve as the central worship space of Emmanuel College and a gathering place for the entire campus community.
- Located in the Eisner Administration Building, 400 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
- Designed by Maginnis & Walsh; stained glass by Alexander S. Locke
- 100+ years of Masses and campus traditions
- Renovated in the 1990s
Catholic Identity and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Emmanuel College is the flagship institution of higher education of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) in North America. The Sisters were founded in 1804 by St. Julie Billiart with the aid of Françoise Blin de Bourdon, motivated by the desire 'to make known God's goodness.' The first Sisters came to America in 1840, settling in Cincinnati, and arrived in Boston in 1849, where they taught at St. Mary School in the North End. From Boston, the Congregation established schools in Cambridge, Somerville, and mill towns including Lynn, Lowell, Lawrence, Chicopee, and Springfield.
- SNDdeN founded by St. Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon in 1804
- First Sisters arrived in Boston in 1849
- Notre Dame Academy on Berkeley Street opened 1864
- Eleven acres on The Fenway purchased in 1912
- Emmanuel College opened as first Catholic college for women in New England, 1919
Worship and Liturgical Schedule
The Chapel offers a regular weekly rhythm of Catholic worship during the academic year, with the Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center for Mission and Ministry coordinating all liturgical life. The 2025–2026 calendar includes Wednesday and Sunday Catholic Mass, a weekly Monday Liturgy of the Hours, and Eucharistic Adoration as scheduled. Select Masses throughout the year are livestreamed for those participating virtually, with livestream dates noted on the Emmanuel Events Calendar.
- Sunday Catholic Mass — 7:00 PM in the Chapel
- Wednesday Catholic Mass — 12:30 PM in the Chapel
- Liturgy of the Hours — Monday at 12:00 PM
- Eucharistic Adoration (scheduled)
- All welcome from every faith tradition and religious background
Special Annual Masses and Services
In addition to the weekly schedule, the Chapel hosts a rich calendar of special liturgies marking the rhythm of the academic year — from the Welcome Mass at the start of fall semester through the Baccalaureate Mass before Commencement. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, celebrated at Catholic colleges and universities worldwide, opens the academic year in early September; Lessons and Carols mark the Advent season; and Founders' Day Mass commemorates the founding Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
- Welcome Mass
- Mass of the Holy Spirit
- Family Weekend Mass
- Alumni Memorial Mass (All Souls' Day)
- All Souls' Prayer Service
- Thanksgiving Interfaith Prayer Service
- Christmas Tree Lighting
- Immaculate Conception Mass
- Lessons and Carols
- Founders' Day Mass
- Ash Wednesday
- RCIA
- Baccalaureate Mass
Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center for Mission and Ministry
The Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center for Mission and Ministry — named for the Archbishop of Boston — coordinates all of the College's Catholic worship, faith formation, retreats, and community service. Located in the Eisner Administration Building (EAB 247), the Center's office is staffed Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, while its common room and interfaith prayer room are open 7 days a week, 6 AM–10 PM (6 AM–8 PM on Wednesdays and Sundays). The Center seeks to guide students through worship and rituals, provide opportunities for spiritual and intellectual development, and engage the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
- Office: Eisner Administration Building 247
- Phone: (617) 735-9703
- Email: [email protected]
- Common room and interfaith prayer room open 7 days a week
- Instagram: @ecmissionandministry
Meet the Staff
The Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center is led by clergy and professional staff with backgrounds in theology, philosophy, liturgy, and music. The Office of Mission and Ministry works collaboratively with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to support the spiritual formation of the entire campus community.
- Fr. Federico Cinocca, S.T.D. — Vice President of Mission and Ministry; Adjunct Faculty, Department of Philosophy (EAB 248C; 617-735-9759; [email protected])
- Dr. Greg Paré, DMA — Director of Music / Campus Minister & Liturgical Music Director (EAB 130; 617-975-9001; [email protected])
- Sofia Estrada-Hannigan — Campus Minister (EAB 248B; 617-732-1684; [email protected])
- Eileen Duggan — Campus Ministry Coordinator (EAB 247A; 617-735-9963; [email protected])
- Fr. John P. Spencer, S.J. (deceased April 2, 2024) — former College Chaplain and VP of Mission and Ministry, 2011–2020
- Fr. Oscar Pratt — celebrant, 2024 Mass of the Holy Spirit
Ministries and Formation Programs
The Chapel supports a wide range of student-led and staff-led ministries. Through the Office of Mission & Ministry, students can train as lectors, altar servers, or Eucharistic Ministers; sing in the Emmanuel College Community Choir; participate in Bible Study; or enter the Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for Baptism, First Communion, and/or Confirmation. Retreats and spiritual development programming round out the formation offerings.
- Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — contact Fr. Federico Cinocca
- Lectoring ministry
- Altar serving
- Eucharistic Minister formation
- Emmanuel College Community Choir — singers and instrumentalists of all faiths welcome
- Bible Study Group
- Retreats
- Memorial Masses for deceased alumni and loved ones
Architecture and History of the Chapel
The Administration Building — and the Chapel at its center — was designed in 1914 by the Boston firm Maginnis & Walsh, founded in 1905 by Charles Donagh Maginnis and Timothy Francis Walsh. The firm is credited with over 115 ecclesiastical works, including Gasson Hall at Boston College and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The building was constructed under the direction of Sister Bernardine Marie Daly, SND, and was completed in November 1916. The stained glass windows were designed by Alexander S. Locke, whose other commissions include St. Mary's Chapel at Boston College, St. Catherine of Genoa Church in Somerville, and St. John's Seminary in Brighton. The Chapel was renovated in the 1990s, and a restoration pamphlet titled The Chapel Speaks was published in 2000.
- Building designed 1914 by Maginnis & Walsh
- Construction overseen by Sister Bernardine Marie Daly, SND
- Chapel completed November 1916
- Stained glass by Alexander S. Locke
- Art collection donated by Fr. Timothy Danahy of Needham
- Renovated in the 1990s
- Pamphlet The Chapel Speaks published 2000
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John P. Spencer, S.J.2011–2020
Jesuit priest; led the Cardinal Seán O'Malley Center for Mission and Ministry; named Vice President of Mission and Ministry in 2015. Died April 2, 2024 at Campion Center, Weston, MA.