Holy Cross Chapel offers daily Mass, peace to downtown workers

January 5, 2011

HOUSTON — The whoosh of the Metro Rail, prattle of passersby and roar of trucks and cars on the streets of downtown Houston fall silent as one steps through the door at Holy Cross Chapel. This unassuming sanctuary is a midday refuge to many downtown workers and visitors and a welcome respite amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

"It is within walking distance from my office," said Sherry Radack, who works at the First Court of Appeals and has attended daily Mass at the Chapel for more than 20 years. "I go there to be with people and the priest to worship the God who gives me so many gifts. The experience fills me with grace and love, which I am able then to share with my colleagues, staff and anyone I come into contact with. It daily reprioritizes my activities and centers me."

The chapel ministry receives funding through the Diocesan Services Fund, which provides financial support for programs and services that aid people of Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

People of all ages, nationalities and stages of professional careers come to the chapel, said Holy Cross Chapel director Father Michael Barrett.

"We'll have anywhere from 70 to 100 [people] between the two [daily] Masses," he said.

Founded in 1982 by Msgr. Albert J. Beck in the basement of 905 Main St., the chapel has long been a seemingly hidden treasure. In 2001, the Archdiocese bought the building and the chapel was brought out of the catacombs and onto the ground floor. Designed by the Gensler architecture and design firm, the space was dedicated by Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza in 2005.

"I have been attending Mass at Holy Cross Chapel since the early days down in the basement … when I was in law school," said Richard Hogan, a partner at Hogan & Hogan law firm. "I rambled through the streets of downtown as I walked between classes, my job as a law clerk for a downtown firm and the courthouse. On occasion, I would stop by for Mass or to pay a visit or just to pray and find some peace."

The intimate chapel seats 135 people. Its striking, "weaved" beam ceiling was inspired by the roof of a Cistercian abbey in Irving and features various eyecatching artworks, including the glass and bronze relief Stations of the Cross and a weathered patina bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"It's a place where I can refresh my spirit and have a daily encounter with Our Lord right in the middle of downtown, precisely where my work and co-workers are," Hogan said. "As I get bogged down in [legal] briefs or the ‘daily grind,' I remember that Christ is in the tabernacle just a couple of blocks away — that He's waiting for me there, near me as I work."

On the second floor of the building, there is a bookstore and Catholic gift shop, as well as conference rooms, offices and space for programs such as the chapel's days of recollection for men and women, Business Ethics Forum, Thomas More Society — a group of lawyers and judges that meets to discuss legal ethics — and Endow for women workshops.

In addition to Mass, Radack has taken advantage of the Thomas More Society events, but that it's the little chapel she has grown attached to over the years.

"[It] is impressive and quieting," said Radack. "It is truly a holy place." †

tch@archgh.org