Article to lead off May issue   Code: ARBOETTJ.MAY

                          Chapel of Peace

              JOHN W. BOETTJER, 32ø, K...C...C...H...
            Managing Editor, THE SCOTTISH RITE JOURNAL
      1733 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-3199

     Placed squarely across the Canadian-American border, the Peace
Chapel is a unique place of rest, meditation and quiet.  Dedicated
in l970 by the General Grand Chapter, Order of the Easter Star, the
Peace Chapel is one of three Masonic structures gracing the
beautiful expanse of the International Peace Garden which stretches
over 2,339 acres between Dunseth, North Dakota, and the Canadian
province of Manitoba, only a few miles north of the geographical
center of the North American continent.
     Proposed in l953 by the 27th Triennial Assembly, the Peace
Chapel became the Easter Star's "living international project of
strength and beauty to commemorate the long continued friendship
between the governments of the Canada and the United States."  On
July 18, l970, the Chapel was completed, and during this Mother's
Day month of May, The Journal is pleased to feature the Peace
Chapel since it is in fact a gift to us from our beloved Masonic
ladies of the Eastern Star.
     Nestled close to the earth, the Chapel building is conceived
along simple, dignified exterior lines that blend it into the
surrounding landscape.  Inside, a soft golden glow is created by
natural sunlight passing through amber glass windows from St.
Gobain, France.  The windows are elevated above and to the sides of
a two-way waffle concrete ceiling pierced by a single skylight
above the central lectern.  The result is an especially serene
light reminiscent of autumnal sunsets.
     Interestingly, the south side of the lectern is in the United
States, the northern side in Canada.  This feature is used by many
bridal couples, especially when one is Canadian and the other
American.  Each can stand in his or her country while being
married!
     In front of the lectern is a stone pool with a gentle circular
fountain.  This adds a pleasing auditory dimension to the space and
symbolizes man's continuing search for peace.
     However the main feature of the Peace Chapel is the three
encircling walls constructed of flat sawn limestone into which are
engraved quotations either spoken or written by great men of peace
throughout history and across the globe.  These eloquent passages
receive a continuous wash of light from the perimeter windows
above, and since the engravings are on native Manitoba limestone
pitted with marine fossils from ancient tropic seas, the
combination of light, words, and stone creates a sense of universal
scope and eternal unity.
     Among the more memorable quotations are: "Dost thou love life? 
Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of"
by Benjamin Franklin and "God did not come to me through a mystical
experience, but through a human being, a neighbor, an agent of
love" by Elizabeth Kilbourn.
     Leaving, however reluctantly, the serenity of the Peace
Chapel, the visitor has much more to enjoy at the International
Peace Garden--the Masonic Peace Tower, Masonic Memorial Auditorium,
sunken garden, symbolic gate, Bulova flower clock, Cornerstone of
Freedom, band shell and amphitheater, carillon tower and sculpted
Hands of Peace.
     Truly, the Eastern Star Peace Chapel and the International
Peace Garden are uniquely Masonic places of restorative inspiration
and thoughtful communion.  Welcome. 

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That long Canadian frontier from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Oceans, guarded only by neighbourly respect and honorable
obligations, is an example to every country and a pattern for the
future of the world.
                                  Winston Churchill