As part of Winter Carnival 2022, students of Michigan Technological University in the USA built an ice chapel in which Holy Masses were celebrated. The students have been building a chapel with snow and ice every year since 2016. This project is exactly what we’d expect from a community of tech-savvy students. The construction of the chapel was organized by the St. Albert the Great Campus Ministry, and judging by their social media posts it took several days to complete. The students have really gone above and beyond to beautify their construction, known as “The Ice Chapel at Our Lady of the Snows.” The walls, which rise over 10 ft high, are sculpted with ornamentation, while several notches cut into them are adorned with candles or statues. The onion-like dome above the sanctuary gives it a distinct and reverent outline. The chapel includes an altar, where Mass is celebrated before a crucifix, which is sunken into the ice wall. Colored water is frozen, then broken up to create mosaics. One of the more ingenious features is the fully covered pulpit, where readings are proclaimed and homilies given. This, however, is the only covered area, as the nave is completely open to the elements. Those who attend a Mass at Our Lady of the Snows are advised to dress warmly. It snows often during Mass but the large crowd in attendance doesn’t mind – they’re used to sub-freezing temperatures. This video takes you to see the ice chapel being constructed......
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