The Carmelite Spititual Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, will celebrate its 150th Anniversay in 2025. We will be posting an ongoing series of interviews and other media in celebration. We kick off the series with this simple virtual view of the main Chapel just to give you a glimpse of the amazing architecture and history. Over the next several months, we will be posting additional content such as details about the building and the men who served there. Subscribe to the Carmelite Review to be alerted about future posts. Below is an excerpt about the Chapel taken from the Retreat Centre’s website – https://www.carmelniagara.com
EXCERPT TAKEN FROM THE CARMELITE SPIRITUAL CENTRE WEBSITE:
The Main Chapel possesses a unique beauty because of its monastic simplicity. The main altar is the most prominent feature of the Chapel. All the wood carvings and the wall paneling are of American white oak stained a majestic seal brown and carved by the Valley City Seating Company of Dundas, Ontario. Most of the details were done by hand.Above the main altar is a massive carved statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Patroness of the Carmelite Order. Mary stands on a cloud and is surrounded by rays of light. She bears the Christ child in her left arm, while with her right hand she extends the Scapular, the traditional devotion of the Carmelite Order. Over this statue two angels bear a scroll upon which is written in Latin: “Behold the sign of salvation.”
To the left of Mary’s statue is a smaller one of the prophet Elijah, the biblical patron of Carmel. To the right is a statue of St. Brocard, holding the Carmelite Rule of Life. Over the altar is a huge, circular stained glass window divided into twelve panels which represent various titles attributed to Mary in the Litany of Our Lady.On the right side of the Chapel is a secondary altar dedicated to St. Therese, the modern Carmelite saint who is Patroness of vocations to the Carmelite Order. The altar on the left is dedicated to St. Joseph, the protector of the Carmelite Order. Three tiers of choir stalls line each side of the chapel which were used by the Carmelites for the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. The tile floor, in colors symbolic to the Order, was imported from Belgium. The altar in the centre of the choir is used for the celebration of the Eucharist.The windows in the Chapel are fine examples of the beautiful and ancient art of stained glass, imported from England and stained in Toronto by McCausland Limited. The windows have a double theme. The major or upper series depicts the life of Mary. The lower series portrays the life of the prophet Elijah as written in the First Book of Kings Chapters 17-19. The Carmelites strive to imitate the two-fold spirit of Elijah: contemplation and zeal for the works of the Lord.
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