Prayer Town Emmanuel—The new Our Lady of the Angels Chapel and the new Our Lady of the Angels Aging in Place facility for the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ will be blessed and dedicated by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek Saturday, April 13 during a 10:30am Mass.
To celebrate the new facility, the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ invites the public to attend an Open House Saturday, April 20. Tours of the new facility will begin at 11:00am, followed by Midday Prayer at noon. Tours will continue until 2:00pm and there will also be hors d’oeuvres. For additional information about the Open House, please contact the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ at 806-679-7855 or via email, [email protected]
Ground was broken Oct. 4, 2022 for the new just-under 10,000 square foot facility. In addition to the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, the new building includes eight wheelchair accessible rooms, a new infirmary, wide hallways with handrails and a recreation room that doubles as a tornado shelter.
The new chapel, which will be wheelchair accessible, includes a new sacristy, a wheelchair accessible restroom, a gathering area and a room dedicated to state-of-the-art audio visual technology.
Other improvements at Prayer Town Emmanuel include a new entryway to the Mother House, additional paved parking spots and a paved walkway.
According to Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ Mother Lucy Lukasiewicz, the vision for the new chapel and Aging in Place facility came from the foundress of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, Mother John Marie Stewart, before her passing on May 26, 2018.
“Mother John Marie had the vision of both the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel and aging and infirm Sisters remaining at the Motherhouse,” said Mother Lucy. “Through this new facility, the aging and infirm Sisters can continue to live our contemplative life with evangelization through intercession. The powerful intercessory prayers of our aging and infirm Sisters has been essential to our mission: local, diocesan and global.”
Mother Lucy said that the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel will seat 100 and includes a foyer for many more to participate in prayers and liturgy through a large screen. There is a large outside courtyard for overflow crowds.
“The Our Lady of the Angels Chapel will not only benefit our elderly and infirm Sisters,” added Mother Lucy. “It will also help fulfill Mother John Marie’s vision to serve all ages of people who visit Prayer Town. For the first time we have a chapel that is wheelchair friendly. This will allow the aged, infirm and disabled guests to be able to participate more in our mission. It is much easier access for families too. With the construction of the new chapel, we have additional space to offer hospitality at our Motherhouse location, and we will continue to use St. Anthony’s Chapel for some events.”
Mother Lucy was asked about those who have been instrumental in getting this new facility completed…
“We have been blessed by the whole body of Christ with this project,” she said. “First, we appreciate the support from Bishop (Patrick J.) Zurek. Many individual parishes, parishioners and groups such as the Knights of Columbus in the diocese have helped with this project. We have received assistance from people representing many denominations as well as having interfaith support. Practically, Plains Builders has spearheaded the actual construction.
“Every December, the diocese participates in the Religious Retirement Appeal collection. Funds from this appeal helped us especially in the early planning stages of the project.”
Mother Lucy said the new Our Lady of the Angels Chapel and the new Our Lady of the Angels Aging in Place facility is a tribute to Mother John Marie’s vision for the 664 acres of pasture land that was given to the community by the Diocese of Amarillo through a gift from Oliver Bivins.
“In 1976, Mother John Marie, our foundress stood on this land we call Prayer Town,” Mother Lucy said. “Mother John Marie and the Sisters first lived here in a borrowed tent with the vision of Prayer Town. Mother John Marie embraced the vision God gave her for this land and for both our community’s local, diocesan and global mission. She passed on that vision to all of us.
“In the early days of the community people brought wonderful gifts to Prayer Town—a milk cow, chairs, fence posts and wiring. Mother John Marie said, ‘Alone we could never had made the Prayer Town vision a reality. Just as she relied on others when she described this land as just rolling hills, sagebush fields, cottonwood trees, with deer, antelope, mice and rattlesnakes with a single windmill, we relied on others to bring this project from virtue to reality. We are grateful to everyone who has had a part in our story.”