Saint Albert The Great Chapel

Introduction

The chapel opened in July 2012, and an initial planting scheme was devised in October. Aelred Whittaker, one of the first friars, was a noted sculptor and had his workshop in the garden.

Architecture and furnishings

The chapel's walls are brick inside with dressed sandstone on the outside, with insulation in between. The altar and lectern are solid stone and fixed, while seating and screens allow versatility. The lighting is all low energy and concealed in the paneling of the ceiling and walls. The chapel has a sedum-covered roof and an oak roof structure using engineered timbers from waste products. The praises of God are sung daily at Saint Albert The Great Chapel, with all welcome to join the Divine Office.

Parish life

The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University. The Catholic Chaplaincy is also a parish of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and Catholic students and staff are automatically members of this parish.

The friars provide emergency cover for local hospital chaplains. St Albert's is a spiritual home to hundreds of university staff and students and to many others as well. Coffee is served in the garden room after the Sunday morning Masses. The Albertus Institute for Science, Knowledge and Religion is based at the Chaplaincy, organised by lay people with the support of the friars.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish prepares people for baptism, confirmation and first Holy Communion, and assists with questions about the Catholic Faith. Parents who come to Mass and want their children baptised are asked to contact the parish priest. Marriages are accepted for couples who are members of the congregation or have a strong link with it, and require at least six months' notice.

Visiting

The chapel is listed in guidebooks to the city as one of Edinburgh's hidden gems. The garden of the chapel contains about 150 different species in the raised bed, including many herbs of which St Albert wrote. The garden of the chapel has a raised lawn, pathways and a raised bed, made from materials reused from an old kitchen extension and garden walls. The chapel is a garden chapel with a strong connection to its garden context and to the copse of trees at the end. The chapel's garden has a raised bed that is a work in progress, but a visitor might be persuaded that the garden planting already echoes the views of St Albert.