About the centuries-old Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette's campus

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·1 min read

In the heart of Marquette University’s bustling campus, a medieval remnant offers respite for the soul.

Joan of Arc Chapel began its life as a place of worship circa 1420 in the village of Chasse, southeast of Lyon, France. Named then after St. Martin de Seysseul, it served the people of Chasse-sur-Rhône for hundreds of years before falling into disrepair.

Joan of Arc, the legendary warrior and patron saint of France, is said to have prayed at the chapel in 1429. That was part of its attraction to Gertrude Hill Gavin, who bought it in 1927 and had it moved to her estate in Long Island, N.Y.

46. Joan of Arc Chapel began its life as a place of worship circa 1420 in the village of Chasse, southeast of Lyon, France. Marc Rotjman, a former president of Racine’s J.I. Case Co., and his wife, Lillian, bought and later donated the chapel to Marquette University.
46. Joan of Arc Chapel began its life as a place of worship circa 1420 in the village of Chasse, southeast of Lyon, France. Marc Rotjman, a former president of Racine’s J.I. Case Co., and his wife, Lillian, bought and later donated the chapel to Marquette University.

Marc Rotjman, a former president of Racine’s J.I. Case Co., and his wife, Lillian, bought the chapel in 1962 and later donated it to Marquette. Over nine months, its 30 tons of stone and 18,000 terracotta roof tiles were carefully disassembled, labeled and shipped to Milwaukee. The reassembled and renamed chapel opened here in 1966. Its nave was lengthened to allow seating up to 60 people; radiant floor heating and electricity were also added.

The Gothic chapel is a striking landmark amid so many buildings centuries younger. But it continues to be an active worship site, with as many as seven Masses a week when classes are in session, including a Sunday afternoon liturgy in Spanish.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: About the centuries-old Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette's campus