Chapel

At the spiritual center of the Cathedral School is the cultivation of a community where everyone belongs; where one’s heart, mind, and soul are nourished; and where each boy is known and loved. Like Episcopal schools around the world, guided by our School Chaplain, our non-dogmatic approach to faith is anchored in love, goodness, and justice — finding expression chiefly through our chapel program, the religion curriculum, the service-learning program, and the close partnership between the chaplaincy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program. 

In Episcopal schools, the study of religion is considered part of what it means to be an educated, literate, and reflective person. Through scholarly exploration and experiential education, we use the majestic space of Grace Cathedral as an entry point for understanding spiritual and religious approaches to life, arts and culture, and the practice of justice.
 
Lower School students learn about religion by exploring the diversity of holidays, festivals, and rituals found within both the Episcopal tradition and religious traditions throughout the world. 
 
Each year in Upper School, students have Religion class integrated into their ongoing curriculum. Fifth graders begin by exploring ‘material religion’ which focuses on the place of objects, images, locations, and buildings in religious communities. Sixth graders then explore established forms of spirituality that emphasize art, contemplation, practicality, justice, and nature. Next, in seventh grade, the focus is on Biblical literacy, which provides powerful roots for understanding the Bible’s impact on art, music, literature, and history. Finally, eighth graders explore philosophy and religious pluralism. This finalé culminates in two final projects. On the one hand, each boy writes a philosophical treatise about himself that becomes the ‘Chapel Talk’ that he delivers before his teachers, classmates, and family during Chapel. On the other hand, using Minecraft or another appropriate medium, the boys must imagine and design a sacred space – a cathedral, synagogue, mosque, temple, or another space of worship – that accurately reflects the practices and beliefs of a specific religious tradition. Final projects are then entered into the "Sacred Space Competition." where the top projects are presented before a panel of local architects and religious leaders who select the winner of the Sacred Architect award.
 
We do not ask people to hide their religious identities and let spiritual questions go unasked. Rather, we embrace the study of religion as a way to deepen an understanding of self and others, one that offers all students the opportunity to explore ultimate questions of God, faith, and meaning.

(Click here to learn about the defining qualities of the Episcopal tradition.)