About Our Lady of the Airways · Boston, Massachusetts
Our Lady of the Airways is a Roman Catholic chapel located inside Boston Logan International Airport, tucked between Terminals B and C on the baggage claim level in East Boston, Massachusetts. Widely considered the first airport chapel in the United States, it was founded by Archbishop Richard J. Cushing in the early 1950s specifically to bring daily Mass to the thousands of Catholic workers — and travelers — employed at or passing through Logan. Today it is administered by the Archdiocese of Boston and serves a remarkable mix of airport staff, airline crew, Massport and state-police personnel, East Boston neighbors, and travelers from around the world who stumble upon this 'hidden sacred space' near baggage claim.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Airways (Blessed Virgin Mary, under a Marian title referencing aviation)
- Rector
- Rev. Richard A. Uftring (Administrator; longtime airport chaplain, retired July 2020 after 24 years; current Sunday Mass is now celebrated by priests assigned to a nearby Archdiocese of Boston parish complex)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
For anyone who works on the airport campus — airline crews, Massport and state police staff, concession and cleaning workers on rotating shifts — Our Lady of the Airways is the only Catholic Mass celebrated inside Logan, letting worshipers fulfill their Sunday obligation without leaving the airport. Travelers from around the world likewise find it a quiet, dignified refuge from the terminal bustle, a place to light a candle or simply breathe between flights. Regulars also value its deep memorial role: the chapel hosts annual 9/11 commemorations and is filled with plaques honoring airport and law-enforcement workers who have died.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Airways
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Our Lady of the Airways
Our Lady of the Airways traces its origin to 1951, when Boston Archbishop Richard J. Cushing opened a small circular chapel at Logan International Airport to serve Catholic workers who could not leave their posts to attend Sunday Mass. Cushing formally dedicated the chapel on January 20, 1952. The idea was part of a much wider 'workmen's chapels' initiative Cushing pushed across Boston — at the port, the downtown train station, and other working-class gathering points — and it also solved a pastoral question of the moment: providing home assignments for the many priests returning from World War II. Cushing reportedly negotiated the rent at roughly $100 a year for the airport land. Within little more than a decade the chapel had outgrown its original footprint; in 1965 the Archdiocese relocated and rebuilt it in its present rectangular form between Terminals B and C, expanding seating to about 250. The 1965 chapel — altar, crucifix, Stations of the Cross, holy water fonts, and the signature statue of the Virgin Mary encircled by airplanes — is the one that still welcomes travelers and airport workers today.
- 1951: original circular chapel opens
- January 20, 1952: formal dedication by Archbishop Cushing
- 1965: relocated and rebuilt as the current 250-seat chapel
- Part of Cardinal Cushing's 'workmen's chapels' program
Cardinal Cushing and the 'Workmen's Chapels' Vision
The chapel is inseparable from the pastoral vision of Archbishop (later Cardinal) Richard J. Cushing, who led the Archdiocese of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and oversaw one of the most sweeping parish-construction programs in American Catholic history. Cushing wanted to take Mass to the places where working-class Catholics actually were — docks, train stations, and the new commercial-aviation frontier of Logan Airport — rather than expect them to come to existing parishes. His program also absorbed the post-World War II surge of new priests who needed assignments. Boston College historian James O'Toole has called Our Lady of the Airways the most visible symbol of that project. Cushing's airport chapel in turn inspired the two other Catholic airport chapels that followed at JFK (Our Lady of the Skies) and at O'Hare, and its example is often credited as a precedent for the broader move toward interfaith airport chapels and meditation spaces today.
- Cushing served as Archbishop of Boston 1944–1970
- Reportedly negotiated $100/year rent with the airport
- Inspired Our Lady of the Skies at JFK and the O'Hare Catholic airport chapel
Inside the Chapel
The 1965 chapel is rectangular, dimly lit, and lined with red brick walls. Its most distinctive feature is the custom-made metal statue of the Virgin Mary at the front: she stands on a globe with three model airplanes circling her — an image that has become a quiet signature of the chapel. Around the sanctuary are an altar and crucifix, the Stations of the Cross, and holy water at the doors, with the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle for travelers and airport staff. The walls are densely covered with memorial plaques dedicated to Massachusetts State Police troopers, airline and concession workers, Massport personnel, and many of the victims of September 11, 2001. A Muslim prayer rug has been placed discreetly in the back corner with a small handwritten sign pointing toward Mecca, so Muslim travelers and staff can pray there as well.
- Custom metal statue of the Virgin Mary on a globe, circled by three airplanes
- Stations of the Cross and holy water fonts
- Wall plaques for Massport, state police, airline and 9/11 victims
- Interfaith Muslim prayer rug with handwritten qibla sign
Clergy and Airport Chaplaincy
For 24 years the chapel's priest was Rev. Richard A. Uftring, who became a beloved figure among the airport's small but faithful congregation. Father Uftring was known for celebrating Mass from the aisle — close to the pews — and for sustaining the community through a long period of change in the airline industry. He retired in July 2020. The Sunday Mass at the chapel is now celebrated by priests, including the Rev. Brian Daley, who are assigned from a nearby Archdiocese of Boston parish complex that covers two churches and a Marian shrine; the Archdiocese has signaled its intent to preserve the airport outreach even as the chapel's footprint shrinks.
- Rev. Richard A. Uftring — chaplain for 24 years, retired July 2020
- Rev. Brian Daley — among the priests currently celebrating Mass at the chapel
Memorial and 9/11 Role
Long before it became a national headline, Our Lady of the Airways had quietly taken on the role of a memorial chapel for the people who keep Logan running. Plaques along its walls honor Massachusetts State Police, airline crew and ground staff, concession workers, and members of the Massachusetts Port Authority who have died in the line of duty. Since 2001 the chapel has hosted annual September 11th remembrance gatherings; Logan's larger outdoor 9/11 memorial, located a short walk across from the airport Hilton, complements the in-chapel observances. For many airport employees — and for travelers who pause to read the plaques — the chapel functions as a quiet book of remembrance for the city's aviation community.
- Annual 9/11 memorial Mass and observance held in the chapel
- Logan's 9/11 memorial is a short walk from the chapel, across from the airport Hilton
- Memorial plaques honor state police, airline workers, and Massport staff
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard A. Uftringc. 1996 – July 2020
Long-serving airport chaplain; retired after 24 years as the chapel's priest. Beloved by regulars for his warm, close-to-the-pew style.