Spiritual Life

“During a discussion of the Chapel...the question of a fitting name received considerable attention. Finally, Don Lourie suggested the plain, meaningful words, ‘The Chapel,’ two words that lend themselves to denominations, a name for the building that would be broad in interpretation and carry goodwill to all” (Cardigan Mountain School Bulletin, January 16, 1963).

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While other buildings on campus have been named for significant members of the Cardigan community, the Cardigan chapel has simply remained the Chapel. Not affiliated with any religion, the Chapel, and the directors of spiritual life who have organized its programs, have been concerned less with a student’s direct relationship with any god and more with a student’s moral compass. Cardigan’s first chaplain, Arthur Broadhurst, reflected in a 2020 interview with Cardigan archivist Judith Solberg, “I saw my role as that of a provocateur through providing an environment in which the natural questions of youth and particularly the questioning of and about religion could get a safe hearing, as a stimulator of thought on ethical and spiritual issues.”

Current Director of Spiritual Life Cheryl Borek P’10,’12,’15 agrees: “I like to think of Chapel as a time and space for our community to take a collective breath in the middle of a busy week and listen to one another's stories.” While some services include guest speakers from outside the Cardigan community, for the most part students and faculty, and sometimes alumni, are not only members of the congregation but are also the speakers, readers, and musicians who participate in the services. 

“While we use the annual student life themes––’The Courageous Heart,’ ‘Respect the Climb,’ ‘Carry On’––to stimulate ideas that community members can use to frame their stories, it is usually a moment of awakening, a defining moment in a person's life, that speakers most wish to talk about,” says Ms. Borek. “I see my role as the curator of these moments by exploring their spiritual side. Music Director Kevin Franco, woodworking teacher John Burritt, and the many other Cardigan student and faculty musicians also participate in the services, playing hymns or modern songs which complement the general tenor of a speaker's message.”

Ultimately, the questions asked in Chapel are guiding principles that help the boys make connections between what they have heard in Chapel and how it applies to their local and global communities. As former Director of Spiritual Life Dr. Elizabeth Peryman reflected in a 2014 Chronicle article, “Just as a healthy tree draws strength from nutrients in the ground, our School needs spiritual strength and nourishment to conduct its myriad operations with energy and integrity. Firmly rooted in our Core Values, Cardigan’s spiritual life spreads out like branches into the classroom, the dorm room, and onto the playing field.” Boys find peace in the campus’s natural world, they consider their ethical responsibilities in classes, and they practice mindfulness and service to each other daily.