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Our Lady of Hope Chapel

Our Lady of Hope Chapel is the transformation of a single rectangular room into a chapel for worship and meditation. The window is stained glass and was designed by one of the Sisters. It depicts imagery from St. Francis’s “Canticle of the Sun.” Intended to celebrate the natural world, the chapel makes reference to the sun, moon, stars, and sky. The altar, the Pascal candle stand, the ambo, and the tabernacle were all designed by local artist, Tadao Arimoto, and are made from pieces of wood that maintain their original organic forms. Illumination is largely indirect and highlights the coved ceiling and the floor. The walls are clay plaster embedded with straw and the floor is recycled plywood mill-ends. The materials make reference to the frugality demonstrated in the lives of the Sisters. The niches hold precious artifacts representing the Saints whose inspiration is held most dear by the community.