Saint Anne Shell Chapel
March 2, 2009 | |
Both windows, dedicated to Saint Anne, show motifs of books and writing quills.
The floor of Saint Anne Shell Chapel has pretty floral patterns on the tile floor.
The Shell Chapel has two beautiful stained glass windows honoring Saint Anne, the mother of Mary.
This close-up shows some of the detail work on the shrine itself. All different kinds of shells were used.
This shell mosaic shows the Nashville, the ship Mother Theodore and Sister Mary Cecilia travelled on and crossed the ocean from France to Indiana.
The shells are affixed to the walls with cement.
Various types of shells can be found in the chapel.
The metal scrolls on the front door are like the swirly shape of some shells. Looking out through the Shell Chapel door, one can see the lovely grounds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
“Sancta Anne” means ‘Saint Anne” in Latin. The windows are dedicated to Saint Anne.
This statue sits atop the shrine to Saint Anne.
During the day, the open front door lets natural light flood the Shell Chapel.
This beautiful metal light fixture hangs from the ceiling.
Light from one of the stained glass windows falls on the intricately tiled floor, which features lovely concentric shell shapes.
Inside, the walls are covered in shells, mostly from the local Wabash River.
This shell mosaic shows the various journeys and missions of the Sisters of Providence in Indiana.
The door is intricate metal scrollwork.
The beautiful stained glass windows feature coral and shell motifs.
The Saint Anne Shell Chapel is a tiny structure at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
The painted border along the top edge of the walls has a nautilus pattern. (A nautilus is a type of sea shell.)
“1876,” the year that the Shell Chapel was built and Sister Mary Joseph Le Fer de la Motte finished covering the walls with shells., is worked into the shell designs on the wall.
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