Seating up to 800 guests, the Chapel hosts liturgies, religious performances, ecumenical services, and weddings. The annual celebratory Baccalaureate Mass for graduates is also held in the Chapel each spring.

mater dei chapel full of people at pews for mass.

Welcome to the Historic Mater Dei Chapel!

This stunningly inspiring space is the spiritual and communal centerpiece of our campus and is the setting for commissioning and pinning ceremonies, lecture programs, memorial observances, and worship services throughout the year. Mount students begin their university careers at a moving candle-lighting ceremony here, and conclude it with a Baccalaureate Mass just before commencement.

Over the past six decades, more than 470 couples have commenced married life by vowing their lives to one another in this sacred space. We invite you to tour the chapel at your leisure, paying special attention to the stained-glass windows, crucifix, stations of the cross, statuary, and other exquisite artwork. All of it was designed by six women—three Sisters of Charity and three undergraduate art students —in the late 1950s and early 60s, a time when women were all but absent from leadership roles in the professional worlds of architecture, art and design, let alone the creation of religious spaces.

Do not hesitate to ask questions of our student hosts and be sure to enjoy free refreshments in the Seton Lobby just down the hall.

 Restore Mater Dei Chapel

Weddings in the Mater Dei Chapel

Weddings in the Mater Dei Chapel are by exception since the usual place for a Catholic wedding is your church. All couples using the Mater Dei Chapel must have special permission from their pastor. 

To be married at the Mater Dei Chapel, either one or both parties should be a practicing Catholic, and fit one of the following categories:

  • Alumni of the university
  • A current student at the university
  • A faculty or staff member of the university or their children

Weddings at the Mater Dei Chapel can be held during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. The usual times for weddings are during ordinary times, or during the Easter or Christmas season, but not on the Holy Days of the Atrium, Palm Sunday, Christmas, or New Year's. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires a six-month preparation period for all marriages.

Take a virtual tour of the Mater Dei Chapel and other facilities and equipment at Mount St. Joseph University.

Launch Mater Dei Chapel

Contact Information

Click here to submit a wedding inquiry form.

For questions, contact: 
Maria DiTullio, Coordinator for Mission Ambassadors
513-244-4390
Maria.DiTullio@msj.edu