Dean Maurice Charles offers the following update on the temporary suspension of gatherings at Rockefeller and Bond Chapels and the Spiritual Life spaces at Ida Noyes Hall:
As a research university of international renown, the University of Chicago gathers a worldwide community, welcoming students, faculty, staff, visitors, and friends from around the globe. Rockefeller and Bond Chapels and the Spiritual Life Office in Ida Noyes Hall host religious and spiritual gatherings from a variety of traditions in addition to providing space for individual reflection and prayer. In keeping with the guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the senior university administration regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and especially in light of our common mission to care for the most vulnerable members of the community, many of whom attend our gatherings, beginning Sunday, March 15, we are suspending all communal religious and spiritual gatherings occurring in Rockefeller and Bond Chapels and the Spiritual Life office, prayer, and meditation spaces until April 15.
While I am deeply sorry for any distress this may cause, I do want to reassure everyone that our venues will remain open for private prayer and reflection according to posted schedule and that our team is available to address any concerns you may have. Meanwhile, we hope that you will have a satisfying end to the quarter and a restful break. We look forward to thinking creatively together about meeting community needs during the spring term and to continuing to support and encourage one another in our adventures in learning.
D. Maurice Charles, Dean, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel