Campus Chapel Opens

Bishop William Murphy blesses the new chapel at St. Anthony’s.

BY JASON MOLINET

It is an odd sight, even at a Catholic high school. A church bell tower rises above the complex, surrounded by brick and glass. A closer inspection reveals an Umbrian-inspired chapel, its architecture far different from the South Huntington landscape

For so long a dream, the brainchild of St. Anthony’s principal Bro. Gary Cregan, its full beauty and function were publically unveiled Saturday when the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels was blessed in a moving morning mass. Bishop William Murphy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, presided over the dedication.

His presence alone made the moment noteworthy. But it was clear the once you walked into the chapel that Bro. Cregan’s attention to detail has made this a special space indeed. It took four years of planning and two of construction at a cost of $2.7 million. When Bro. Cregan finally spoke, at the conclusion of the mass, his message was one of thanks.

The chapel would not have been possible without the support of the entire St. Anthony’s community. And now the chapel stands as a statement in its own right.

“We’re viewed as a school that stresses academics and athletics,’’ Bro. Cregan said afterward. “I wanted to send a loud message. We are about God before all else.’’

Our Lady of Angels may be brand new, but it is adorned with relics that give the place instant warmth and character. From the 15th-century Italian alter to the century-old pews from a Massachusetts church to the bell Bro. Cregan bought on eBay, the chapel instantly transports you somewhere else.

That this sanctuary is nestled in the midst of a chaotic high school is all the more remarkable. The credit belongs to its principal. Its legacy belongs to the St. Anthony’s community.