Does your parish have some extra land? Would your parishioners like to be prepared for the next pandemic? Here’s an idea that might really enhance parish life. Build an outdoor chapel!

It could be used for outdoor Masses when necessary. Add some flowers and the area could also double as a prayer garden. Plan it well and it could also be used as a cemetery. In fact, the walls of the chapel would be perfectly suited to be a mausoleum.

Even without a pandemic, it could be a beautiful asset to a parish. After a wedding in their parish church, a bride and groom could use this space for some terrific photos. If you don’t consecrate it as a sacred space, the venue could also be used for parish events. High school kids from the parish could also have their group prom and senior photos taken here. The possibilities are endless!

This kind of edifice could be built gradually over years or decades. Start with a sanctuary area and go from there. Perhaps it could even be a long-term parish project where a master mason guides and directs volunteers to build gradually on parish work days.

The slideshow below is to help you visualize some of the many forms this could take. They could be a lot smaller than the ones pictured. Click on the arrows to advance the slides. Can you see the vision for this for your own parish?