Chaplain & Spiritual Life

Allee Chapel in sunlight

Going Deeper, Loving Wider

You, fellow pilgrim on the journey:

May you find in these offerings the support, sense of meaning, identity, and relationship you seek. A haven of peace and caring community. A spiritual embrace but also a stretching. Here where we are all so different yet ultimately One, may you find ways to get connected. To practice living the radical vocation of love, understanding, and hope in an often polarized, fearful world. And may you find ways to explore, practice, and/or deepen appreciation for the faith of your ancestors and other wisdom traditions of our world.

Cornell students, faculty, and staff represent numerous religious, spiritual-but-not-religious, and secular perspectives. The Chaplain of the College and the student leaders of The Cornell Chaplain & Spiritual Life Office values this diversity, both as part of the educational experience and as we seek to live authentic, caring, mutually appreciative and respectful lives amid our cultural, political, religious, and other differences. This is one of the many ways we help prepare lives for servant leadership and reconciling virtue on this beautiful, sacred Earth. We invite you to join us on this journey of healing love.

Campus Services

Cornell College is proud to offer a number of on campus services and resources ranging from pastoral care and spiritual advising to spiritual life offerings, student leadership teams, student faith groups, and educational and interfaith programs.

Service in Allee Chapel

Events & retreats

  • Chat with the Chaplain every Thursday (except breaks) in Thomas Commons over the lunch hour. Come by to introduce yourself and get to know your chaplain!
  • Better Together. An interfaith / spiritual gathering that invites you to reset and set an intention for the block ahead.
  • Soul Friends. An ecumenical Christian gathering to uplift and nourish your soul.
  • Calm in the Chaos. A brief mindfulness meditation break every Friday except over breaks.
  • Deep Peace Yoga to calm and refresh you on Tuesdays 3:30–4:30 p.m. in the Richard and Norma Small Athletics and Wellness Center (the SAW).
  • Special events like solidarity vigils, retreats, conferences, religious center visits, and more will be posted throughout the year on the Campus Calendar.  
Events Calendar

Stop by Allee Chapel any time

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Private Prayer, Meditation & Reflection
In an era of constant noise and busyness, Allee Chapel offers a space for silence and healing peace. Allee is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. for private prayer, meditation, and reflection. 

Allee Chapel is also used throughout the year for small gatherings of spiritual refreshment and nurture, worship, group meditation, healing peace vigils, AA open meetings, weddings, memorials and more.  Still, know that Allee is primarily a place where you can come to experience sacred silence, or to expressions and needs of the soul. 

Near the entrance of Allee Chapel you will find a book in which you can anonymously record prayers gratitudes or of intercession on behalf of self, others, or places in the world experiencing brokenness.  These prayers will be lifted by up the chaplain and, depending on the time of the month, by members of the Chaplain & Spiritual Life's interfaith and Christian spiritual gatherings which meet during each block.  

Elsewhere in the Chapel you will find prayerbooks from differing traditions,  zafu meditation cushions,  prayer beads from a several different traditions (Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim).  A prayer rug hangs in the north east corner of the chapel marking Quiblah, the direction toward Mecca. 

Reserving Allee Chapel
If you would like information about reserving Allee Chapel for a sacred ceremony or other gathering of a spiritual nature, please contact the Info Desk at 319.895.4334 or email info_desk@cornellcollege.edu. Allee Chapel holds up to approximately 80 people. 

NOTE: Reserving the chapel does not guarantee availability of the chaplain to officiate weddings and other such services.  Moreover student orgs wanting to use this space will have to seek permission from the chaplain to ensure not only availability but also that use of the space for spiritual purposes (thus honoring the intention of the building's donors).