Pitt-Bradford will hold a cornerstone laying and celebration for the  Harriett B. Wick Chapel  on Friday, Sept. 11.

            The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 4 p.m. at the chapel construction site near the  Frame-Westerberg Commons . The festivities will be followed by light refreshments.

            “The Wick Chapel will fill an important need on our campus in providing a place where students of any religious denomination can worship in a manner consistent with his or her preference,” said  Dr. Livingston Alexander , president.

            The interfaith chapel will be named in honor of longtime Pitt-Bradford benefactor Harriett B. Wick.

            “In naming the chapel for Harriett Wick, we honor a dear friend of our university and a woman whose generosity has changed lives for the better and made our region a better place to live and work,” Alexander said.

            In addition to Alexander, those taking part in the celebration include the Rev. Leo Gallina Jr., pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Bradford; Craig Hartburg, chairman of the Advisory Board; Timothy Woughter, president of the Student Government Association; Dr. Robert Pack, vice provost for academic planning and resource management for the University of Pittsburgh; Howard L. Fesenmyer, chairman of the institutional advancement council and a friend of the Wick family; the Rev. W. LeRoy Beckes, pastor of First Presbyterian Church; and Jeffrey C. Guterman, associate professor of communications and chairman of the division of communication and the arts.

            Work on the chapel site on the west end of campus has already begun, and the structure should be complete by next summer.

            Wick Chapel will face the Tunungwant Creek, which runs through campus, to take advantage of the view of the water and surrounding area.

            Three of the sanctuary’s four sides will be glass, and it will also feature a vaulted ceiling, wooden floor and space for a pipe organ.

            In addition to serving as a site for interfaith worship and meditation, the chapel will be a site for receptions, induction ceremonies, lectures and small choral and musical performances.

            The chapel will also serve as a base for volunteer service programs and other community outreach activities.

            Those planning to attend the celebration are asked to make reservations with Joelle Warner, manager of donor relations, at 814-362-5091 or by e-mail to jaw104@pitt.edu.

            For disability-related needs, contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services at 814-362-7609 or arj4@pitt.edu.

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