Queen of the Rosary Chapel
A view of the interior of the Queen of the Holy Rosary Chapel windows and altar.
The public is invited
to celebrate Sunday
Mass at 10:30 a.m.
with the Sinsinawa
Dominican Sisters
in Queen of the
Holy Rosary Chapel.
Even on cloudy days, the stained-glass splashes of color from diamond windows reflect on the marble floor. It is a beacon of beauty and strength, where many journeys begin and end. It is where Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters make profession and then are sent out to help others. It is also where Sisters are brought home and laid to rest. From miles away in many directions, this remarkable landmark can be seen to call Sisters home and to welcome visitors. It is Queen of the Holy Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Mound.
Sister Mary Ellen Winston, liturgist at Sinsinawa Mound, says the acoustics and lighting make Queen of the Rosary Chapel a special place. “The stained-glass windows preach our story and the life of Christ,” she says. Built in 1966, the rotunda that houses Queen of the Rosary Chapel is the work of many hands. One Sister in particular worked closely with the architect to make the beauty of the chapel rare and stunning. Sister Teresita Kelly carefully designed each of the 37 stained-glass windows to tell the story of Christ’s Redemption. “She preached through her gift of art through those windows,” says Sister Mary Ellen of Sister Teresita’s window designs. “The light comes in, and the colors change daily and seasonally.”
Other features of the chapel include African mahogany pews to seat 700 and a Niagara limestone altar made from boulders excavated from the Mound grounds. At the time the organ was built in Queen of the Rosary Chapel, it was the second largest two-keyboard organ in the country, with 27 stops and 37 ranks of pipes.
Sister Teresita also enhanced the atmosphere in the chapel by painting the Way of the Cross on the walls circling the pews. “The space lifts your mind, soul, and spirit easily,” says Sister Mary Ellen. “You can feel God transcendent and present.”