Chapel of the Snows

American church at McMurdo Station

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

The Chapel of the Snows is a non-denominational Christian church located at the United States' McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica and is one of eight 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. 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.

## Overview

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Chapel of the Snows interior

The chapel is the southernmost dedicated religious building in the world and has regular Catholic and Protestant services. During the Austral Summer from September to March, the chapel is staffed by rotational chaplains. Historically, the Diocese of Christchurch supplied Roman Catholic priests and the U.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 as Latter Day Saints, Baháʼí, and Buddhism and non-religious groups such as Alcoholics 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.[1]

The original Chapel of the Snows, before the 1978 fire.

The original Chapel of the Snows was built from scrap construction materials by the US 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, the Erebus Chalice (during Austral summers only), and memorabilia from the US Navy's historic involvement in Operation Deep Freeze. The altar of the Chapel of the Snows is believed to come from St Saviour's Chapel in Lyttelton, New Zealand,[2] where Robert Falcon Scott worshiped prior to embarking on the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition.[3]

The chapel is one of the buildings which may be replaced as part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science project, to upgrade and improve facilities at McMurdo.[4]

## In popular culture

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* Antarctica: A Year on Ice

## See also

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* Religion in Antarctica

## References

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1. ^ Chapel of the Snows. A history of the Chapel of the Snows
2. ^ "Chapel returning home to Lyttelton". Anglican Taonga. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
3. ^ "St Saviour's Anglican Church (Former)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
4. ^ "The Antarctic Sun: News about Antarctica - A Next-Generation Antarctic Science Station". antarcticsun.usap.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-20.

## External links

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* Media related to Chapel of the Snows at Wikimedia Commons

* v
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Antarctic churches

South of the 60th parallel|

* Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows
* Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi
* Chapel of St. Mary Queen of Peace
* Chapel of the Blessed Virgin of Luján
* Chapel of the Snows
* St. Ivan Rilski Chapel
* St. Volodymyr Chapel
* Trinity Church (Antarctica)

North of the 60th parallel|

* Norwegian Anglican Church
* Notre-Dame des Vents

77°51′S 166°40′E﻿ / ﻿77.850°S 166.667°E﻿ / -77.850; 166.667
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