Chapel is a special time for our school community to gather.
Each week, we gather as a community to take intentional time for reflection, rejuvenation, and connection. Chapel provides a space apart—a still point in the day where all may slow down.
Chapel strives to reflect the spiritual diversity of our students, and gatherings are often focused on a theme, sacred or ancestral story, or a religious or cultural holiday. Chapel services are participatory in nature, and frequently incorporate music, meditation, movement, and shareouts from students, families, or guests. In Chapel, students are exposed to a variety of traditions and different spiritual practices and encouraged to share their own traditions. It provides a safe container to process emotions, express skepticism, and explore big questions of morality and justice.
On Thursdays, students in Grades 3 - 8 participate in a Eucharist service. The Eucharist is an ancient Christian ritual that commemorates Jesus’ life and death, and helps us to feel connected to God and each other. In addition to communal and individual prayers, music, and readings, this service includes a Chapel Talk offered by the Chaplain or a community member that helps bring the stories alive. Thursday Eucharist is an opportunity for students to connect with their own spirituality and cultivate spiritual practices in a way that feels accessible to them.
In addition to opportunities to read scripture or lead prayers, other participation may look like: coming forward to receive communion (consecrated bread and/or wine), receiving a blessing from the chaplain, lighting a candle, writing a prayer in our community prayer book, receiving blessed community bread, participating in personal meditation or contemplation, or other forms of active engagement. All baptized Christians are invited to receive the sacrament.
All Chapel services are open to current and prospective families. Please reach out to the School Chaplain or our Admissions team to plan a visit.
Opportunities for participation in the Chapel program are varied.
Student leadership
Students are encouraged to share their gifts through activities such as reading poetry or sacred scripture, playing an instrument or singing, dancing, sharing about a family tradition, or presenting learnings from a class or activity. Student and staff affinity groups are also invited to collaborate with the chaplain to lead a chapel service.
St. Luke’s School has a robust Acolyte program, and a beloved Chorister program in collaboration with the Church of St. Luke in the Fields. For more information about these programs, please reach out to the School Chaplain.
Parent & Family participation
There are plenty of opportunities, both established and not-yet-found, for families to get involved in the chapel program! From coordinating decorations and music to sharing a story or tradition your family holds dear, students benefit from hearing the diverse voices and lived-experiences of our adult community. Many of our beloved chapel services, such as Diwali Chapel, the Lower School Pesach Seder, or our Santa Lucia celebration, would not be possible without family support.
