Aquinas Institute Mass in Princeton University Chapel

Here are some photographs of the Mass held each Sunday for Princeton University students (and attended by many local families) during the academic year. The photos were taken just before Christmas, but I have only just seen them and thought they might interest you. Mass is celebrated by Fr. Zack Swantek of the Aquinas Institute, the university’s student chaplaincy. The choir, incidentally, is directed by Peter Carter of the Catholic Sacred Music Project, who will be well known to many of our readers. Margarita and I sing in that choir each Sunday, and it is wonderful to participate

The chapel was built in the Gothic style and completed in the 1920s. It was not intended to house the Mass - Princeton has a strong Presbyterian history. However, it is interesting to note that the Protestants in the early 20th century, who one might have thought would not have been attentive to such things, were able to create imagery evoking the Eucharist that surpasses what many Catholic churches today can offer.

On sunny days, when the imagery in the stained glass is visible, we can make out an image of the Last Supper, then, working upwards, the Risen Christ, and, above that, the Crucifixion. This speaks of what is taking place at the altar below, especially to those at the back of a very large church, who would not be able to see much of what is going on in detail.

In the window at the other end of the chapel, there is an image of Christ in Majesty, which portrays the Risen Christ to the faithful who have participated in the Eucharist and are partaking of the divine nature and so have ‘put on Christ’.