The breaking ground ceremony took place this past Wednesday, March 23. The ceremony started with a prayer service in the Goppert Center, which was presided over by Bishop Robert Finn, and ended with outside near the grotto for the turning of the dirt. According to president Nan Bone, the purpose of the breaking ground ceremony was to bless the ground.

‘The purpose of the ground breaking ceremony was to have the Bishop bless the ground,’ Bone said. ‘Board members, donors and CSJ’s were also invited to the ceremony.’

Although the breaking ground ceremony involved the entire school, junior Danielle Gatapia feels she was left out of not only the ceremony, but the idea of the chapel itself.

‘I felt that I wasn’t apart of [anything],’ Gatapia said. ‘I felt like I was on the very outer rim, not only during the ground breaking ceremony but when everyone was talking about the chapel being built. I felt like I didn’t have an impact.’

Gatapia blames the location of the chapel as one of the main reasons she dislikes it. In her opinion, the chapel would be better served on the side of Donnelly, by the parking lot. However, according to Bone, this location and others was discussed. Bone said the administration met with two different construction companies and both advised the school that putting the chapel by Donnelly would make the chapel seem smaller.

‘[By putting the chapel in the grotto], we are completing the quad,’ Bone said. ‘Right now we really only have a triangle, so this fourth building really completes the quad.’

Although Gatapia does not believe the chapel will really change STA, sophomore Grace Scovell believes it will.

‘I think that the chapel will have a positive effect on STA because it will give all the students a better opportunity to grow closer to God through faith,’ Scovell said.

Scovell also sees herself benefiting from the chapel.

‘I think that the chapel itself will give me as an individual to learn more about God through prayers and meditation,’ Scovell said.

Even though Scovell believes the chapel will positively effect STA and herself, she and Gatapia agree that the construction and ultimately the chapel will cut off the quad.

‘I like walking through the quad in the morning and the sun is always shining on my face and I can see everyone coming in,’ Gatapia said. ‘Then when I think of the [chapel] being there, I think of everything just being really closed off.’

Despite students differing opinions, Bone hopes the chapel will go over well with the entire STA community.

‘I really hope [everyone] likes [the chapel],’ Bone said. ‘I think [dislike towards the chapel] is more the idea of change than the actual building. When we added Donnelly, almost everyone said, ‘We already have M&A, why do we need another building?’ I really hope that is the same thing here.’