The school's original chapel was badly damaged during the 1906 earthquake. The South Wing and current day chapel were built between 1913 to 1915, with the first mass held on December 25, 1915. Mother Vicar, the Mother Superior at the time, was the inspiration behind the design of the chapel.
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The bell tower was built during the addition of the South Wing between 1913-1915. The class of 1913 donated the funds to have the tower built, and the names of the donors are on the bell tower. At the time, the bell was terracotta. One hundred years later, the class of 2013 donated the funds to have the bell restored and changed to the current color.
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Installed in 2004, when the Performing Arts Center was built, and the courtyard was remodeled. Our labyrinth is a brick paver composition, and it is roughly 36 feet in diameter. It was a commissioned artwork, and it was built and installed by Labyrynths in Stone (link below). Learn more in the last paragraph of the "Spiritual Spaces" article below.
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The outdoor stations of the cross located near Oakwood are a favorite visiting place for our RSCJ. Religion teachers utilize this space to engage students in the devotioal prayers recalling the series of events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and burial. A former student build the trail through the stations as an Eagle Scout service project.
The WVC Academic and Arts Building mural project was an extension of the 2024 Social Justice Teach In (SJTI).
Fabian Debora, the co-founder and Executive Director of the Homeboy Art Academy, led the effort. Fabian presented during three of the workshops for the SJTI and worked on the mural project all week.
Here is a quick summary of the project:
The grotto containing the statue of Jesus on the cross was built by Italian artisans. The material was molded to resemble tree trunks and small, colorful birds were incorporated into the design. The grotto was restored in 2008. In more recent years, RSCJ have opted to be cremated and their ashes are interred at the cemetery, with markers closer together than the graves of RSCJ previously buried on the campus. The first student to graduate from our school, Eleanor Deming, is buried in the cemetery. She went on to become an RSCJ and served as Mother Superior for our school on two occasions.
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The Statue of Jesus that currently resides in the traffic circle behind the main gate has been a part of the campus since it's inception. It has had several locations, shown in the pictures linked below. It has been in it's present location since 1984, when it was moved during a campus renovation and dedicated to Sister Nancy Morris. One hand of the statue is raised to the heart and the other raised in blessing. Students, faculty and visitors are blessed with each entry to the campus.
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If you are looking for information on another SHS sacred space, feel free to drop by the library or email Ms. Chatterjee (schatterjee@shschools.org) and Ms. Li (sli@shschools.org).