Semper Fidelis Chapel to be dedicated

The Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel at the National Museum of the Marine Corps will be dedicated during a ceremony on Thursday.
“The chapel will be open 9 to 5 daily, the same hours as the museum,” said Marine Corps Heritage Foundation President and CEO retired Lt. Gen. Ron Christmas. “Visitors will be able to walk up to the chapel and stop in for a moment of reflection or simply to enjoy the space. It will also be available for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies.”
Fentress Architects out of Denver, Col., the same architectural firm that designed the museum, designed the nondenominational chapel. General contractor Forrester Construction Company of Rockville, Maryland provided direction and oversight, and the chapel’s timber framing was constructed by Creek Timber Framing.
The 2,100 square foot building evokes images of improved field chapels sure to be familiar to all service members and was constructed using natural materials such as stone and timber, said Christmas. The structure was built upon the concept of a “transparent chapel in the woods,” and its glass walls allow visitors to remain connected to the outside world.
“The structure provides a shelter for gathering together in camaraderie while allowing visitors to remain connected to nature. Natural fieldstone, along with heavy timber columns and trusses, frame the chapel’s expansive glass walls, affording dramatic views of the museum and surrounding forest,” said Christmas. “Simple yet powerful, a steeply sloped slate roof soars skyward and invokes an uplifting feeling of hope and strength.”
The chapel has 77 seats and can accommodate up to 140 people. An iconic image of a Marine kneeling in prayer is etched into glass behind the altar, along with a verse of the hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.” They hymn has been played and sung at the funeral of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. An exterior water feature cascades down four levels behind the altar, emptying into a reflection pool visible from inside the chapel, representing the Marines’ service at sea with the Navy.
The chapel was made possible by a $5 million grant from Tim and Sandy Day and the Timothy T. Day Foundation of Phoenix, Arizona. Ground was broken on the structure last December.
Dedication keynote speakers include Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway; Christmas; and Day, who served in the Marine Corps as a captain.
The ceremony will also include a performance by the U.S. Marine Corps Band, a 21-gun salute, Navy bell ringing ceremony and official ribbon cutting. The event gets underway at 11 a.m. The dedication ceremony is a by invitation only event.