Trinitytide 2003

St. Ann's Chapel Opened in Palo Alto

St. Ann's Chapel in Palo Alto, California has recently been opened by the Diocese of the Western States to serve Stanford University and the San Francisco peninsula. This former Roman Catholic Church is beautiful, and is a modest treasure of post war art. The noted painter Andre Girard was brought from France at the time of its construction to create the life size Stations of the Cross. Commenting on Girard's work, Roman Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain said, "Never perhaps has he represented [the Stations of the Cross] with so powerful a rhythm and so fascinating a pictorial eloquence as in the chapel of Palo Alto." Girard also painted on the glass windows, which he referred to as "Painting on Light."

St. Ann's Chapel was built as a memorial for Ann Clare Brokaw, and it shall remain so. Ann was the daughter of playwright, Congresswoman, and Ambassador Clare Booth Luce. Her stepfather was Henry Luce, founder of the Time-Life empire. The 19 year old Ann died in an automobile accident on her way back to the Stanford campus months shy of graduating Summa Cum Laude.

St. Ann's Chapel is located at 541 Melville Street, in Palo Alto, California.