Spring worship, music events move due to Siebert upgrades

Due to donor-funded upgrades in A. F. Siebert Chapel, worship services and musical performances will be relocated for a large portion of the spring 2025 semester.

The chapel’s nave and chancel (areas that include the pews, altar, and Fritsch Memorial Organ) will be closed from Feb. 17 through May 1, with a single exception. Those spaces will reopen for one day only on Thursday, March 27, to host the formal installation of Carthage’s new campus pastor: the Rev. Adam Miller-Stubbendick.

Throughout the spring semester, the weekly Tuesday worship service and the Sunday evening Catholic Mass will take place in Fritsch Meditation Chapel. The intimate venue is located on the west side of Campus Drive, across from Lentz Hall.

Fritsch Meditation ChapelAt least one of Siebert Chapel’s three entrances will remain open, preserving students’ access to the Center for Faith and Spirituality offices and the free supplementary food items at Luther’s Lunchbox. Events like Interfaith Lunch and faith-based student organization meetings will proceed as usual in Ehrler Hospitality Center.

“Amid the changes happening in the chapel, I will be available for students both individually and in community. The locations will be different, which could help us continue to know one another more deeply,” says Pastor Miller-Stubbendick. “I hope students will look for me in different spaces around campus: in the library near Starbucks, in the TARC, in The Caf, and wherever they might invite me. Our work together continues.”

Those who plan to attend music concerts during the chapel construction should check the online Carthage calendar for updated locations. Several events have been switched to the Recital Hall, which is located just inside the north entrance to the H. F. Johnson Center for the Fine Arts, while others have been moved off campus to venues in Kenosha.

H. F. Johnson Recital HallThroughout the spring, contractors will replace Siebert Chapel’s sound system and a pair of air handling units for heating and cooling. The project is backed by a $2 million financial commitment from Kenosha’s Grace Kolakowski.

“Our music programs are really excited about these enhancements, which will improve our performers’ experience but also the experience of the audience,” says Corinne Ness, dean for the Division of Arts and Humanities. “We can’t wait to return to the space and enjoy an improved listening experience!”

Designed in the brutalist style by renowned Milwaukee firm Architects III, the building is considered an architectural gem. Planning is in the beginning stages for a 2026 celebration that will mark 50 years since the chapel’s dedication.

FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY AT CARTHAGE