Ash Wednesday is the starting date for Lent, the liturgical season of preparation for Easter. This year Ash Wednesday falls on March 6. Even though this is during spring break, Mass will offered on March 6 at 12:05 p.m. and at 4:45 p.m. in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. All are welcome.
Chapel of Christ the Teacher
Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, Chapel of Christ the Teacher

Did You Know about Chapel Availability?
The Chapel of Christ the Teacher is open from 6:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., according to Rev. James Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry. While there are some scheduled events that happen in the Chapel, much of the time it is available to all members of the campus community for quiet prayer and reflection. If you need a bit of quiet time, consider spending that time in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher.
This first installment of the “Did you know” series comes to you as an initiative of the Garaventa Center and Campus Ministry, intended to broaden awareness of spiritual development opportunities on the University campus. Look for more in the weeks to come.
November Mass of Remembrance, Sunday, Nov. 13
During the month of November, the Church traditionally remembers our beloved departed. We pray for the souls of our family and friends and give thanks for how we were blessed by their lives. Here at UP, we celebrate a Mass of Remembrance for all of the deceased members of the University Community. In a particular way we remember those who have passed away in the last year. This year’s Mass of Remembrance will be celebrated on Sunday, November 13, at 10:30 a.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Museum Blog Post: Chapel of Christ the Teacher 30th Anniversary
The icons of The Seat of Wisdom and of Christ the Teacher are often paired in religious tradition. On the UP campus they have been paired, doubled, and multiplied, creating a pattern net to challenge Robert Langdon/The DaVinci Code. The University of Portland Museum and Archives celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Chapel of Christ the Teacher in this blog post. Follow the link for a brief text and photos.
For more information contact Carolyn Connolly, museum coordinator, at piatz@up.edu or x8038.
Annual Red Mass, Sept. 28: All are Invited
All members of the campus community are invited to attend the annual Red Mass on Wednesday, September 28, at 5:30 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Red is a traditional color associated with the Holy Spirit, and the Red Mass is celebrated each fall to honor and invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all those associated with the practice and administration of law, a custom dating back to the Middle Ages. The first Red Mass in the U.S. was celebrated in 1859.
Archbishop Alexander K. Sample (pictured) will be the principal celebrant and Fr. James Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry, will offer the homily.
The Red Mass is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church, going back to medieval times, wherein the Holy Spirit is invoked at the beginning of the legal season to guide all those administer the law. The red vestments worn by the priests symbolize the Holy Spirit who descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire on Pentecost and whose wisdom is implored to guide the Church and the Nation.
For ADA accommodations or more information: garaventa@up.edu or 7702.
Roof Construction On Chapel of Christ the Teacher
The roof of the Chapel of Christ the Teacher will be replaced beginning on Monday, June 13. Masses and other services will take place on their usual schedule:
- Sunday Mass, 10:30 a.m.
- Daily Mass (M-F) 12:05 p.m.
- Reconciliation: Wednesday 5-5:30 p.m.
For more information contact Campus Ministry at 7131 or ministry@up.edu.
Kick Off Year of Mercy With Campus Ministry, Jan. 17
Campus Ministry invites the UP community to help inaugurate Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy on Sunday, January 17, at the 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Masses in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. The theme for the year is “Undoing the Knots.” Campus Ministry encourages all faculty, staff, and students to come to the chapel for Sunday Mass to write some of the knots in their lives on fabric and tie them to the display. The following Sunday, people will untie one knot apiece and pray for the person whose knot they untied.
Find out more about the Year of Mercy at this link.
For more information contact Campus Ministry at 7131 or ministry@up.edu.
A Campus Sanctuary
Campus chapels provide a place for private prayer and reflection, a space apart from the busy-ness of college life, integrated into the weave and pattern of campus life. For the latest update from the University archives and museum blog, see a brief post and photographs about the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, dedicated on October 5, 1986, at https://sites.up.edu/museum/sanctuaries/.
Contact Carolyn Connolly, museum coordinator, at piatz@up.edu, or 8038 for more information.
Chapel Renovations Complete
A third phase of renovations has been completed inside the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. The most recent renovations included replacing the movable seating with pews, replacing the chairs for concelebrants and the choir, and installing lattice woodwork to the altar backdrop wall that will match the color of the pews, according to Campus Ministry.
Two other phases of renovations have occurred in the Chapel in the last three years. New flooring, designed to match the original flooring, was added in early 2013. Other renovations have included a new marble altar, a new wooden ambo, a redesigned presider chair, and a new altar backdrop wall.
The Chapel of Christ the Teacher, which opened in 1986, was designed by renowned Portland architect Pietro Belluschi. His goal was to design a worship space in a Northwest regional style with Scandinavian and Japanese overtones in a building that emphasized interiority over exteriority.
For more information contact Campus Ministry at 7131 or ministry@up.edu.