When one thinks of religion, the immediate images are of lofty churches, white robes of a priest, and long sermons. But why even go to chapel, if one isn’t religious? The answer lies in one question: why have so much student involvement in the services if Chaplain Morehouse is the main chaplain in Upper School? That’s because he knows something that should be common knowledge: that the students need a space for the students, by the students. And that place at ‘Iolani is chapel.
One thing that Chaplain Morehouse deems as important to remember is that a place’s sacredness does not make it entirely unavailable. The chapel at our school is not some consecrated space that must be avoided at all costs simply because of how holy it is. Rather, for it to be sacred, it must be nourished by the students. Chaplain Morehouse said that when he got here, “the chapel and all the doors were closed, because it’s a sacred space, and we don’t want kids messing it up. But I’m like, what’s a sacred space? It’s for anyone to come into God’s house and just breathe.” He believes it’s very important for the students to have a safe space, and also places a great significance upon preparing students for their future lives, or what he calls our lives’ work. His end goal is for chapel to be accessible to all who need it.
While chapel is for the students, it is created by the students as well. ‘Iolani has a Chapel Council, where students collaborate with Chaplain Morehouse and Mrs. Lallier to decide how chapel is going to be run. When asked why he created the council, Chaplain Morehouse simply said, “Your wisdom is just as important as my wisdom. […] You know what you need to hear about.” To him, student involvement is not just important, but necessary. This is shown not only in the council, but also in other aspects of chapel. From the daily student speakers, to the numerous musical performances, the message is that if we can make a place for ourselves in chapel, we can do the same in the world. “I also think as you guys sit in chapel and listen over the years, and as you hear kids speak, I want you to know that you can develop a voice to make a difference,” said Chaplain Morehouse, “And how could you know that, if it’s only me speaking?”
Chaplain Morehouse emphasized that ‘Iolani is a ‘WE’ school, not a ‘ME’ school. But what does that mean exactly? He said that the Anglican tradition has always been good at school, and believes that the community is more important than the individual. Then, when building the school, Anglican tradition combined with the Confucian tradition, which held the same values, and you get ‘Iolani. Finally, when Father Bray came he brought the idea of One Team. So all these traditions came together to form our very founding ethos, and the perpetuation and reinforcement of One Team. One could even say chapel was what initially started it in the beginning, having been founded on Anglican values. Ending the interview, Chaplain Morehouse said, “Even if the Chapel Council plans it, even if different kids present, even if we have senior speakers, you sitting there is just as important. We make it together.”
Chapel at ‘Iolani is so much more than teachings about God’s commandments; it’s a guiding hand and a way to gain an inner voice. The very spirit of chapel supports students on their journey, starting right here in the heart of our campus.
