Buzz
When you’re stuck during a long layover, there aren’t too many ways to pass the time. You might flip through some magazines at Hudson News, test out a travel pillow, or, if it's been a tough travel day, you could spend some time at an airport bar. But after spending enough time in various U.S. airports, you’ll likely notice something common: most terminals have chapels tucked away in a quiet corner. Some are simple, others are elaborate. Some cater to one specific religion, while others serve as interfaith spaces. So, where did these chapels come from, and what’s their purpose?
A surprising answer to the second part of the question is that airport chapels weren’t originally intended for the passengers. As Smithsonian.com reports, the first chapel at a U.S. airport opened in 1951 at Boston's Logan International Airport. It was primarily established to serve the airport’s Catholic workers, providing mass services for those working long shifts.
Called “Our Lady of the Airways,” the Boston airport chapel idea quickly gained support from Catholic leaders nationwide. By 1955, the Our Lady of the Skies Chapel opened at New York City's Idlewild Airport (which would later become John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963). More Catholic chapels followed soon after.
In the 1960s, JFK expanded its spiritual offerings by adding both a Protestant chapel and a Jewish synagogue to its terminals. By the 1980s, similar Protestant chapels had been established at the airports in Atlanta and Dallas.
During the 1990s and into the new millennium, single-faith chapels gradually declined. In 2008, The Christian Index published an article on the evolving nature of religious spaces for travelers, and declared 'Single-faith chapels a dying breed at U.S. airports.' As interfaith chapels became the standard, they opened their doors to a broader audience, welcoming not just airport staff but also the millions of passengers passing through each year.
Today, over half of the busiest airports in America feature chapels, most of which are interfaith. These chapels are typically inclusive spaces, adorned with symbols of multiple religions, and have become places for quiet meditation and reflection. Many still offer worship services for various faiths, such as the interfaith chapel at Washington Dulles International Airport, which holds a Catholic mass on Saturday evenings alongside daily Jewish prayer services. While each airport chapel is unique in its design and offerings, all aim to provide a spiritual retreat from the stress of air travel.
