About St. Ignatius · Seattle, Washington
The Chapel of St. Ignatius is the heart of Catholic worship and Ignatian spirituality on the campus of Seattle University, a private Jesuit university on Seattle's First Hill. Dedicated in 1997 and designed by acclaimed New York architect Steven Holl, the chapel is both the spiritual home of the university community and an architectural gift to the city, serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors throughout the academic year. Sunday and weekday Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, weddings for members of the SU community, OCIA (formerly RCIA), Confirmation preparation, retreats, and other liturgies are coordinated through University Ministry.
- Established
- 1997
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Society of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Janowiak, SJ (Chaplain for the Chapel of St. Ignatius)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
The Chapel of St. Ignatius welcomes all — students, faculty, staff, and visitors — to gather for Sunday and weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, weddings of SU community members, the OCIA process for those exploring becoming Catholic, and Confirmation preparation for already-baptized Catholics. University Ministry pairs that liturgical life with spiritual direction, retreats, resident ministers in each residence hall, and a wide range of faith-based student organizations, making it an ideal spiritual home for anyone seeking Ignatian-rooted worship, formation, and community in the heart of Seattle.
Mass times at St. Ignatius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays during the academic year at 4:15 PM
- After any Mass, when a priest is available (approach the presider)
- Reconciliation Prayer Service during Lent
Chapel of St. Ignatius — Overview
The Chapel of St. Ignatius is Seattle University's main chapel and primarily hosts the university's Roman Catholic liturgies. It sits at 901 12th Avenue on the First Hill campus and is the architectural and spiritual heart of the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the university. All are welcome, regardless of university affiliation.
- Address: 901 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122
- Contact: [email protected], 206-296-2215
- Architect: Steven Holl Architects
- Dedicated April 6, 1997
History of the Chapel
In 1991, Seattle University President William J. Sullivan, SJ, proposed building a chapel that would meet the university's needs and serve as an architectural gift to the surrounding civic community. The Chapel Planning Committee, chaired by Gerald Cobb, SJ, selected Steven Holl as principal designer, with Olson Sundberg Architects of Seattle as associate architect and Baugh Construction as contractor. Holl's vision — guided by visits to sites significant in St. Ignatius's life and by reading the Spiritual Exercises — produced the concept 'A Gathering of Different Lights,' realized in seven glass window portals that diffract daylight into multiple hues throughout the day. The chapel was dedicated on April 6, 1997. Its design won a Design Excellence award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the chapel's scale model became part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
- Proposed: 1991
- Dedicated: April 6, 1997
- President at dedication: William J. Sullivan, SJ (1976–1997)
- AIA New York Chapter — Design Excellence award
- MoMA permanent collection — chapel scale model
Architecture
Architect Steven Holl's guiding concept was 'A Gathering of Different Lights,' a metaphor for both Seattle University's mission and St. Ignatius's vision of interior consolations and desolations. Holl conceived of the chapel as 'seven bottles of light in a stone box,' with each vessel of light corresponding to a focal aspect of Catholic worship. The exterior envelope is built from 21 interlocking, integrally colored tilt-up concrete panels cast flat on the chapel floor and reflecting pond slabs, then lifted by hydraulic crane (panels up to 80,000 lbs) into interlocking joints that form the windows.
- Concept: 'A Gathering of Different Lights' / 'Seven Bottles of Light in a Stone Box'
- Construction: tilt-up integrally colored concrete panels
- Doors: hand-carved Alaskan yellow cedar with seven glass lenses
- Daylight + interior lighting create complementary colored reflections on walls and floor
Notable Interior Art & Spaces
Several commissioned works give the chapel its distinctive character. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, designed by Seattle artist Linda Beaumont, contains an onyx tabernacle, a 20-foot-tall madrona tree symbolizing the struggle of life, and walls coated with 600 pounds of beeswax embedded with gold-leaf prayers. The Gratia Plena, an eight-foot-tall, 2,300-pound Carrara marble sculpture of Mary by Steven Heilmer, stands in the worship space.
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel — Linda Beaumont, Seattle artist
- Onyx tabernacle and 20-foot madrona tree
- 600 pounds of beeswax with gold-leaf prayers on the walls
- Gratia Plena sculpture — Steven Heilmer, Carrara marble
Chapel Building Hours
The chapel is open for visiting Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. It is closed Saturdays except for scheduled events and open immediately before and after Sunday Masses.
- Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
- Saturday: closed except for scheduled events
- Sunday: open immediately before and after Masses
Weddings at the Chapel
Because the Chapel of St. Ignatius is not a parish, weddings are restricted to current Seattle University students, alumni, faculty, staff, regents, or trustees. Couples marry in the home parish of one or both members where possible. Weddings at the chapel are celebrated on Saturdays at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM, except during university closures, major university events, the Advent and Lent liturgical seasons, and the week before and after changes in liturgical season. Weddings must be scheduled at least six months in advance, and a non-refundable $250 deposit is required. The standard chapel reservation fee is $2,000, with affiliation-based discounts (alumni: 50%; students/faculty/staff: 75%; regents/trustees and families: 25%). Both Catholics and non-Catholics may marry here if marrying a Catholic; couples who have had a prior marriage require a Catholic annulment.
- Eligibility: current SU students, alumni, faculty, staff, regents, trustees
- Saturday 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
- Scheduled at least six months in advance
- Standard fee $2,000 with affiliation discounts
- Non-Catholics may marry if marrying a Catholic
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
University Ministry runs the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) — a year-long process of exploration, prayer, reflection, study, and conversation leading to full initiation into the Roman Catholic Church through Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. The OCIA program is open to Seattle University students, begins each Fall Quarter with weekly Thursday-afternoon meetings, includes a half-day retreat, regular gatherings at the Sunday 5 PM liturgy, and pairing with a spiritual companion and a peer sponsor. Those already baptized in another Christian tradition can also participate and be received into the Church through a profession of faith, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
- Open to Seattle University students
- Weekly Thursday-afternoon meetings, Fall Quarter through Easter
- Culminates at the Easter Vigil in the Chapel
- Spiritual companion and peer sponsor for each participant
Confirmation for Baptized Catholics
Students who were baptized Catholic but have not received Confirmation (and those who have not yet received First Eucharist) may participate in Confirmation preparation. Classes begin each Fall Quarter and conclude with a Spring Quarter celebration with a bishop at the Sunday 5:00 PM Mass. Participants meet regularly with a spiritual companion and a peer sponsor.
- Fall Quarter through Spring Quarter
- Celebrated at the Sunday 5 PM Mass with a bishop
- Spiritual companion and peer sponsor
University Ministry & Staff
University Ministry at Seattle University fosters spiritual exploration, cultivates communal prayer and liturgical life, and deepens the practice of Ignatian spirituality. The office is led by Luke Lavin, PhD (Assistant Vice President for University Ministry). Liturgy and worship are coordinated by Brian Robert Taberski, EdD (Associate Director for Liturgy, Worship and Formation) and Angelo Neri Alfonso (Liturgy Coordinator). Pastoral Care is led by Megan Kush (Associate Director for Pastoral Care), and retreats by Mackenzie Gass (Retreats Coordinator). Catholic chaplaincy is provided by Fr. Paul Janowiak, SJ (Chaplain for the Chapel of St. Ignatius) and Fr. Vincent Duong, SJ (Campus Minister); Fr. Natch Ohno, SJ serves as University Chaplain, and Yasin Ahmed as Muslim Chaplain. Resident Ministers accompany students in residence halls including Xavier, Vi Hilbert, Yobi, Chardin, Douglas, Murphy, Kolvenbach, Campion, and Bellarmine.
- Fr. Paul Janowiak, SJ — Chaplain for the Chapel
- Fr. Natch Ohno, SJ — University Chaplain
- Fr. Vincent Duong, SJ — Campus Minister
- Dr. Luke Lavin — Assistant VP for University Ministry
- Dr. Brian Taberski — Associate Director for Liturgy, Worship & Formation
- Angelo Neri Alfonso — Liturgy Coordinator
- Megan Kush — Associate Director for Pastoral Care
- Mackenzie Gass — Retreats Coordinator
Seattle University — Jesuit Catholic Heritage
The chapel sits on the First Hill campus that traces its origins to the Immaculate Conception Parish School founded by Jesuit Fathers Victor Garrand, SJ, and Adrian Sweere, SJ, in 1891 — Seattle's first Jesuit parish. The school was reincorporated as Seattle College in 1898 and renamed Seattle University in 1948. Seattle U is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students, and is part of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU).
- 1891 — Immaculate Conception Parish School founded by Jesuits
- 1898 — Reincorporated as Seattle College
- 1948 — Renamed Seattle University
- Jesuit, Catholic mission