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Notre Dame Students Build Ice Chapel for Candlemas Mass
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — More than 2,000 students, faculty, and local residents gathered in subfreezing temperatures for a candlelit Mass at the student-built St. Olaf Chapel which became the center of campus life this week at the University of Notre Dame.
What began as a "crazy idea" between two seniors ended on the night of Feb. 2—the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas). RAs Wesley Buonerba and Martin Soros. Soros, a civil engineering major, and Buonerba, who studies architecture, spent over 50 hours constructing the chapel. Everything from the crucifix, candle holders, cross, and altar was created or carved from a mixture of snow and water.
A Monument to the 'Snow Day'
Constructed over six days on the North Quad, the chapel was the brainchild of Wesley Buonerba and Martin Soros, both residence assistants at Coyle Hall. Inspired by similar traditions at Michigan Technological University, the duo—one an architecture student and the other a civil engineering major—spent between 60 and 70 hours hauling snow and freezing ice blocks.
The structure, though temporary, was a feat of "scrappy" engineering:
Dimensions: 15 feet long with a 20-foot spire.
Materials: Ice bricks formed in recycling bins and arches shaped using bunk bed ladders and an old car hood.
Artistry: Hand-carved ice crosses and "stained-glass" windows.
The chapel was named for St. Olaf, the 11th-century king and martyr of Norway—a nod to the winter climate.
Faith in the Bleak Midwinter
The project quickly shifted from a fun building exercise to an act of evangelization. As temperatures dipped as low as -4°F during construction, the students found themselves reflecting on the beauty of creation.
The project culminated in an outdoor liturgy celebrated by Holy Cross Fr. Peter McCormick, assistant vice president for campus ministry. Despite the biting cold, the assembly remained silent and reverent as a 50-student choir sang "In the Bleak Midwinter." The crowd was so large that priests reportedly ran out of consecrated hosts during a Communion procession that lasted 30 minutes.
A Lesson in Community
For the creators, the chapel served as a physical reminder of spiritual unity. In a time of social and political division, they hoped the project would help peers "look up" rather than just looking down to avoid the wind.
As temperatures in South Bend are expected to rise above freezing by the weekend, St. Olaf Chapel will begin to fade. However, its mission continues: candle jars placed inside the melting structure will collect donations for Our Lady of the Road, a Catholic Worker ministry serving the local homeless community.
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