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Grand Canyon chapel welcomes all faiths

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gcmaven | 3:53 p.m. Nov. 6, 2007
I thought that the catholics had their services at El Christo Rey, their church inside of the park
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Paul Schnur | 3:36 p.m. Nov. 19, 2007
My father was the President of the Shrine of the Ages Chapel Corporation that planned to build the multi-faith Church on the rim of the Grand Canyon. The site was approved by the National Park Service and the Congress in 1952.
Dose anyone have information more than that mentioned in this article as to why approval was canceled and the structure was built at its present location? Also does anyone know the exact year the building was built?
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Edward Purkey | 7:40 p.m. Dec. 21, 2007
Several Reasons:
1) The Building Plan turned out to be WAY too ambitious! Perhaps typical of early post-war optimism? E.G a hydraulic lift underneath the Altar area to enable switching out Catholic/Protestant/Jewish worship centers...
It was just plain too expensive, especially when...
2) The Funding Canpaign fell short of $$ goals. Yes a LOT of money WAS raised and put in the bank, but still short for proposed structure (see #1)
3) The NPS had second thoughts about the location when it was discovered that right in the middle of the proposed building site was the largest and densest fossil beds that show marine life from the inland sea(s) that once covered the region and was part of the geoplogical history of the Canyon. The government withdrew the site approval. (BTW today there are "Fossil Tours" there for Park Visitors).
4) In 1960's Sen Barry Goldwater & Jack Verkamp (local merchant) "broke the (resulting) logjam" in the program by making LARGE personal contributions to the $$ already raised by the religious community (see #1). Goldwater engineered a bill thru Congress for Federal $$ to bridge to bridge the shortfall, resulting in the present facility at the present location.
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G. Kruse | 6:25 p.m. March 20, 2008
To whom it may concern,
One of the potential reasons for moving the chapel from its original location may be opposition from those who didn't feel a need to build man-made structures in God's beautiful country when we should be appreciating our natural heavenly gifts that surround us in the outdoors. My father wrote such a letter during the initial planning phases and I thought I would share a view from a different side but it is more than 200 words so unfortunately I can't do that......
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osnowi | 11:58 a.m. Jan. 26, 2010
Looks like 5 different Christian Churches, not 5 different "faiths".


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In Faith Across Site