| The Chapel of the Snows | |
|---|---|
 The Chapel of the Snows, 2008 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Christianity |
| Region | McMurdo Sound (Ross Island) |
| Rite | Roman Catholic,Latter Day Saints,Protestant |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active |
| Year consecrated | 1956 |
| Location | |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Municipality | McMurdo Station |
| State | Antarctic Treaty System |
 | |
| Territory | Antarctica |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Modern |
| Funded by | United States Government |
| Completed | 1956 (destroyed by fire in 1978, rebuilt in 1989) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 63 |
| Dome(s) | 0 |
| Spire(s) | 1 |
| Materials | Wood |
TheChapel of the Snows is anon-denominational Christian church located at the United States'McMurdo Station onRoss Island, Antarctica and is one ofeight churches on Antarctica. It was built in 1956 from scrap materials, and this one burned down in 1978, but it was rebuilt ten years later. That one also burned down, and the latest version was built after that. It is the only interfaith church in Antarctica having both Protestant and Catholic services. In addition, the Church also hosts several other religious groups and community organizations such as a sobriety group. Each year the famed Erebus Chalice is brought down for the austral summer.
The church is noted for its southerly religious location, and unique architectural flourishes such as penguins in the stained glass windows.[1]
The chapel is thesouthernmost dedicated religious building in the world and has regularCatholic andProtestant services. During the Austral Summer from September to March, the chapel is staffed by rotational chaplains. Historically, theDiocese of Christchurch supplied Roman Catholic priests and theU.S. Air National Guard had provided Protestant chaplains. As of 2015, chaplains are now entirely military personnel from both the Air National Guard and US Navy, each serving for about four to six weeks on rotation. The chapel is also host to services and meetings for other faith groups such asLatter Day Saints,Baháʼí, andBuddhism and non-religious groups such asAlcoholics Anonymous. These meetings are mostly dependent on lay leadership to be the points of contact and facilitators. The building itself holds about 60 worshippers and contains a small meeting room, a Blessed Sacrament chapel, two clergy offices, a small kitchen, and a restroom.[2]
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The original Chapel of the Snows was built from scrap construction materials by theUS Navy Seabees, based out of Port Hueneme, CA. The original chapel burned down in 1978 and was replaced with a new temporary chapel. After the current chapel was built, the makeshift building (which has since burned down as well) was converted to other uses. The current chapel, dedicated in 1989, features custom stained glass which depict the Antarctica Continent, theErebus Chalice (duringAustral summers only), and memorabilia from the US Navy's historic involvement inOperation Deep Freeze. The altar of the Chapel of the Snows is believed to come fromSt Saviour's Chapel inLyttelton, New Zealand,[3] whereRobert Falcon Scott worshiped prior to embarking on the ill-fatedTerra Nova Expedition.[4]
The chapel is one of the buildings that might have been replaced as part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science project, an initiative in the 2010s to upgrade and improve facilities at McMurdo.[5]
In 2015, the Catholic Priest that had conducted services there stopped visiting at that time, due to a decline in attendance. This marked 57 years of services in Antarctica by the Catholic Church of New Zealand.[6] A military chaplain continues to provide inter-denominational services.[6]
Media related toChapel of the Snows at Wikimedia Commons