Campus Guide
st. ignatius church
St. Ignatius Church
1951
In October 1926, William Henry Cardinal O'Connell created the parish of St. Ignatius Loyola, named after the founder of the Society of Jesus, to serve the Chestnut Hill area. At the same time, he designated the small chapel in St. Mary's Hall and the large auditorium on the south side of the Bapst Library to serve together as a temporary church for the new parish. Care of the parish was assigned to the priests of the Jesuit community of Boston College.
In 1951, construction of the Gothic church of St. Ignatius Loyola was completed on Commonwealth Avenue near Lake Street. The church provides an active center of parish life for residents of the Chestnut Hill area, as well as for Boston College students, who often attend the church not only for regular Masses but also for student retreats and sacred concerts.