EAST ELMHURST — The much-anticipated interfaith chapel in the new Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport is expected to open for prayer in July, according to sources familiar with the project.
An exact date has not been announced, but the July target for the opening is on track, said Patricia Ornst, managing director for New York state and local government affairs at Delta Airlines, which is building the new terminal where the chapel will be located.
“July is correct,” Ornst said. “We can confirm that.”
Father Chris Piasta, airport chaplain, and Vincent LeVien, director of external affairs for DeSales Media Group, separately revealed that Delta officials in New York had confirmed the July window. LeVien is helping Father Piasta with the project.
“It pleases me very, very much,” said Bishop Robert Brennan. “I know that a lot of people have worked very hard on this, so it’s nice to see those efforts bearing fruit.”
He added that airport chapels are an important religious custom seen around the world.
“It’s good that we will have that kind of an opportunity provided for the people here,” he said.
The Tablet was the first to report in October 2021 about how Father Piasta, who has been the Catholic chaplain at JFK and LaGuardia airports, worked to get a chapel as part of ongoing renovations at LaGuardia.
His efforts actually began in 2016, when ground was broken at LaGuardia for massive renovations to Terminals B, C, and D.
Father Piasta then requested a designated chapel for religious services.
Instead, he was offered a meditation room in the renovated Terminal B. He said that was insufficient because he couldn’t celebrate Mass there.
Next, LeVien got involved in late 2021 by calling contacts at the Port Authority to stress the need for an interfaith chapel. DeSales Media is the ministry that produces The Tablet.
LeVein also contacted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.
In early 2022, officials from Delta, DeSales, Port Authority, the chaplains, and the governor’s office met to discuss options for an interfaith chapel.
Delta subsequently pledged to include a chapel in the new Terminal C. Also, Port Authority offered to give chaplains access to a meeting room, pre-TSA security, where they could conduct services.
Father Piasta said Port Authority officials have been in contact with him to make final arrangements for use of the conference room.
Meanwhile, he added, Delta’s construction team has been working to complete the new chapel with two stained glass windows from the old Our Lady of the Skies Chapel at JFK Airport.
Father Piasta credited that work to Ryan Marzullo who oversees Delta’s construction projects at JFK and LaGuardia. He said Marzullo was the Delta official who notified him of the new chapel’s opening in July.
He recounted how chaplains at first asked for 300-400 square feet for the interfaith worship space in Terminal C.
But Marzullo and his design team saw an opportunity to do more. They bumped up the design to 560 square feet. The plans also include high ceilings and large exterior windows.
“I knew that I could count on Ryan,” Father Piasta said. “Every time we had a meeting with him, he exceeded our expectations. It kept going in a better and better direction.”
The new chapel will present new logistical challenges for the diocese, Bishop Brennan confirmed. Topping the list is whether or not to designate two airport chaplains — one for JFK and another for LaGuardia.
“I think we have to come up with a pastoral plan,” Bishop Brennan said. “But I don’t know what we’re going to do at this point.”
Father Piasta has indicated, however, that he may have to step back from airport duties to devote the necessary time to his new parish. Last summer, he became pastor at St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor Parish in South Jamaica.
He previously was pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Jamaica, which is near JFK Airport; as such, he took on the traditional role as the Catholic chaplain there. Eventually, he also gained credentials to be the Catholic chaplain of record at LaGuardia.
Meanwhile, the priest who replaced him at St. Joseph, Father Cezariusz Jastrzębski, is now the Catholic chaplain of record at JFK. A second chaplain assigned to LaGuardia is the question Bishop Brennan might consider.
“We’re glad that we have the chapel,” Bishop Brennan concluded. “So we want to respond to that, pastorally, and that’s a good thing.
“We just haven’t had those conversations yet.”
