St. Francis Chapel
The St. Francis Chapel, a functioning Roman Catholic chapel staffed by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary and located inside the shopping center since 1969, offers three daily masses, the sacrament of reconciliation, and Eucharistic adoration daily, as well as a religious giftshop.[16][17]
The original chapel was first dedicated on November 11, 1969, by Cardinal Richard Cushing.[18] A crowd of 400, almost double its official capacity, crowded into the chapel for the dedication. Cushing said at the time he wanted it to be an "ecumenical chapel. We want people of all faiths to come here and speak to God through their own prayers." He also wanted "to make Christ's presence known in the heart of a sprawling modern cityscape." Present at the dedication was Fr. Robert Lynch, OFM, the chapel's first director. It was originally staffed by the Franciscans who had come to Boston to establish the Shrine of St. Anthony in 1947. It was designed by Brother Cajetan Baumann, OFM, the head of Franciscan Art and Architecture Office and built by Cambridge's Thomas O'Connor Company. On June 1, 1983, the Franciscans turned over the Chapel to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. In 1986, construction forced that chapel to close and a new chapel to be reopened near the entrance of the Hynes Convention Center, next to a Dunkin' Donuts. This chapel, which is still in operation, was dedicated on April 28, 1993, by Cardinal Bernard Law.
In 2025, many of those who attend mass or come to pray at the chapel are young people, including many students from nearby colleges and universities. A group of students from the Berklee College of Music formed a choir. It also serves a large Hispanic community. It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people enter the chapel in a given week, many of whom are seeking to go to confession after years of being away from the Church. In early 2025, the chapel underwent a series of renovations, including its first new coat of paint in 18 years, for a total cost of $40,000. The renovations were spurred by a $25,000 anonymous gift. Part of the renovations included scrubbing the walls behind the votive candles, which were smoky after tens of thousands of prayers were said there in the previous 30 years. , Father Jeremy Paulin is the director of the chapel, a position he has held since June 2024.
