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| The Choir gathers outside the Chapel before Baccalureate |
The Chapel is one of the centers of community life at The Hill, a place where the School meets for celebrations, like the Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols and Baccalaureate, and in times of crisis, such as 9/11 or the death of a member of the community.
Services held in the Chapel
Twice-weekly nondenominational services (required for all students) begin with a prayer and hymn. A speaker (usually a member of the student body, faculty member, or one of the chaplains, and occasionally a guest speaker) addresses the community, sharing insight or experience that has been formative in his or her own spiritual pilgrimage. These talks range from the extremely funny to the heart-rendingly serious. Some are explicitly religious; many are searching and asking questions rather than giving answers. At regular periods throughout the year, the Honor Council addresses the needs for honesty in all aspects of School life. For students, preparing and presenting a chapel talk is considered to be a major component of developing one's leadership.
At the opening of School, the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and on spring Parents' Weekend, there is a Sunday chapel service, required for all boarding and day students. On a closed weekend in most other months, there is a required Sunday service for boarding students (parents of non-Christian students may request that their children be excused from these monthly services). More fully developed than the weekday chapels, these services include Bible readings, a psalm, choral music, hymns, and a sermon by one of the Chaplains.
There are voluntary services of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Chapel every day, and a voluntary celebration of the Holy Communion each Sunday.
Weddings and baptisms
The Chapel can be reserved for baptisms and weddings of alumni, faculty, and children of the community (usually when school is not in session), and the Chaplains sometimes are be available to conduct such services. Please e-mail Dan Katzenmoyer, catering director and wedding coordinator, at dkatzenmoyer@thehill.org to reserve the building, or the The Rev. John Houghton, Ph.D., Hill chaplain, at jhoughton@thehill.org to consult about having such services led by the Chapel staff.
Worship and Music Committee
This student-faculty committee meets regularly with the Chaplains, Director of Vocal Music, and Chapel Organist to offer advice about the various Chapel services.