Duke Chapel to open May 11

The Duke Chapel will reopen May 11 with a day-long celebration.

Restoration work on the Chapel, which began in May 2015, was prompted when a small piece of ceiling tile fell in 2012. Renovations—estimated to cost approximately $10 million—have included the inspection and refurbishment of the ceiling, the replacement of the building’s roof and improvements to the Chapel’s electrical system.

“The reopening of the Chapel building is about more than just the reopening,” said Luke Powery, dean of the Duke Chapel. “It’s a reopening, but it’s also a time of renewal, rejuvenation, a kind of restart. I’m excited about the future.”

Powery said the reopening will mark the beginning of a year of celebration events. 

Baccalaureate services and other graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2016 will also be held in the Chapel May 13-15. The first Sunday morning worship service in the building since renovations began will be held Sunday, May 22 at 11 a.m.

“We would like to use the reopening of the building as a time to refocus the community on the chapel’s vision and mission and strategic values,” Powery said. “It’s a new beginning, and that’s what excites me.”

Services were held in Baldwin Auditorium last summer and have been held in Page Auditorium during the academic year.

“People longed to be back in the beautiful space of Duke Chapel,” Powery said. “I have a deeper appreciation now for what that space means for people. For their own spiritual journeys, it is an advantage being in that sacred space.”

The opening May 11 will begin with a ceremony with Powery and President Richard Brodhead, followed by an all-day open house with tours, music and talks, Powery said. He added that during the evening, Frank Stasio from North Carolina Public Radio will host “State of Things,” his live radio show, in the renovated building about “the sights and sounds of the Chapel.”

“It will be a full day of celebration and we’re sending out thousands of invitations because we know it’s a beloved place,” Powery said.

He noted that the Chapel’s theme for the coming year is #findsanctuary.

“I want to say that the Duke Chapel is here to serve, and to serve the whole community—high church folks, low church folks and no church folks,” Powery said. “We want to be a place where people can find sanctuary, whatever that might might mean for them. We want to be that kind of refuge, that kind of loving community.”