Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel of St. William

Interior of the Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel of St. William

The Cowardin Chapel of St. William (St. William Chapel) was constructed as the Seniors Chapel on the first floor of Copley Hall in 1930.

Copley Hall being the dorm for upperclassmen, the chapel’s location sought to provide seniors in their final year at Georgetown the opportunity to connect their learning to their deepening life of faith. To that end, the historic stained glass windows of the chapel depict images of the parables of Jesus (the teachings of the faith) thereby wedding faith and study together in a sacred space.

In 1990, St. William Chapel was renovated and the three original clerestory windows in the chancel of the chapel were replaced with stained glass window depictions from the book of Daniel in honor of Rev. Daniel McFadden, SJ.

In 2022, the chapel was named the Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel of St. William. The term “Servant of God” refers to Sr. Thea’s official designation as a person in the first stage of canonization in the Roman Catholic Church. To read more about the naming of the chapel, read the University’s story.

Use the Georgetown University map  for directions.

Accessibility Statement:

Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel is wheelchair accessible via the ramp to the main entry doors of Copley Hall, and elevators inside. The Chapel has automatic entry doors. There are no public restrooms in Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel; accessible restrooms are available on the lower level of Copley Hall, via the elevator in the lobby. All services and events in Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel are staffed by Campus Ministry staff who can assist with accessibility needs, including GoCard access to Copley Hall and the restrooms. Please contact protestantministry@georgetown.edu with accessibility requests or questions.

Accessible route maps of the Hilltop Campus are available on Georgetown’s website: Barrier-Free Routes