Maris Grove ready to open new chapel

By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Experts agree that one of the most important pieces of successful aging is nurturing the spiritual aspect of one’s life. Whatever your faith or religious beliefs, it’s crucial to have a respectful place to be able to worship freely and peacefully.

With those goals in mind, Maris Grove is ready to open its new interfaith chapel this month. The spiritual sanctuary will be open to people of all faiths who live at the community and will be able to host a wide variety of religious ceremonies.

“We are excited to have a new home for all of our faith groups here at Maris Grove,” says Pastoral Ministries Manager Rich Sutton. “A person’s spiritual life, no matter your faith, is one of the most crucial aspects to a healthy lifestyle. It keeps us inspired, grounded, and focused on the most important things in life.”

One size fits all
Janet and Tony Cistone, members of the Maris Grove Protestant community, expect that the chapel will do a good job at serving all the faiths represented at Maris Grove and will help supplement religious practices. It will also allow those who might not wish to travel to a church or synagogue a way to remain active in their faith.

“Spiritually, it will mean a lot to all of our faith groups, whether you’re Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish,” Janet Cistone says. “It will be great for all of our residents to have a place to worship. It will help us come together as a community and within our own faiths. We’re just really looking forward to using it.”

“The new chapel is a great addition to our community,” says Joe Costa, a member of the community’s Catholic congregation. “We have quite an active group here so it will be a great benefit to us and all the other faith groups.”

A spiritual environment
Rena Miller, president of the Jewish community, says that Maris Grove modeled its chapel after one built at another Erickson community, Ann’s Choice, in Warminster, Pa.