ERIE, Pa. — For 25 years, the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel at Penn State Behrend has served as a place where students can center themselves — a calm oasis within a bustling, growth-minded campus.
“The Smith Chapel has always been much more than a place of worship,” said Kelly Shrout, director of Student Affairs. “It is one of the few spaces on campus that were intentionally designed to invite people to pause, reflect and reconnect with what matters most.”
The multi-faith chapel was dedicated in 2001. Its construction was funded by the Smith family, longtime supporters of the college, as a response to illness and difficult experiences in their lives. The building houses a custom-made pipe organ, which honors the Smiths’ children, Colleen and Kevin.
The attached 80-foot bell tower was built with funding left by Larry Smith’s late parents, Floyd and Juanita Smith. A 48-bell concert carillon sits at the top of the tower — one of only 15 in Pennsylvania.
Early in her career, Shrout managed the Protestant Campus Ministry at Behrend. When the chapel opened, she became the building’s first coordinator.
“Watching the chapel become part of the fabric of Penn State Behrend has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “While the building itself is beautiful, what has always impressed me is how it has become a place where people gather during life’s most meaningful moments.”
The chapel’s primary role initially centered around worship services. Soon after the building opened, however, couples that met at Behrend began to ask to be wed there. Kevin Smith was the first groom to be married at the chapel, in 2001.
As students’ needs changed, the role of the chapel also evolved. The first floor now houses the Commuter Life lounge. The Lion’s Pantry, which provides free food and personal-care items for students experiencing food insecurity, also operates from the chapel.
In the summers, the chapel is the central hub for a rich musical tradition at Behrend: the Smith Carillon Concert Series. The carillonneur sits in a small room beneath the bells, creating cascades of sound that can be heard from a mile away.
Shrout said she finds even more meaning in the quiet moments at the chapel.
“A campus chapel acknowledges that education is about the whole person,” she said. “Students are challenged academically every day, but they also need opportunities to reflect on their values, find purpose, build resilience and cultivate compassion for others. The chapel is a place where anyone can find moments of peace, belonging and hope.”
For years, Behrend students raised awareness about famine and homelessness by building a box village in the shadow of the bell tower. Shrout remembers students coming into the chapel during the overnight hours, seeking respite from the cold.
“Those moments remind us that, while buildings are constructed of stone and brick and wood, their true significance comes from the lives they touch,” she said.