Lackey Chapel to serve needs of CCU community
Now it's official: Lackey Chapel, the little white church with the red roof, is open for services.
The 125-seat chapel will be dedicated with an interdenominational service on Feb. 11 and will then be available to student religious organizations and any group with a spiritual focus.
Aside from the dedication, the first service planned for the chapel is a Catholic Mass officiated by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20. It is sponsored by the Newman Club, the student Catholic organization.
Requests for use of the interdenominational chapel must go through the University's Conference Services.
The idea for the chapel originated with Sarah and A. Edward Jackson III of Myrtle Beach, who gave a substantial gift toward its construction. In 2009, the couple signed a memorandum of understanding with the Coastal Educational Foundation for construction of the chapel “to serve the spiritual needs of Coastal Carolina University students and employees.”
“I attended Coastal from 1966 to 1968, and I thought the campus should have had a chapel even back then,” says Jackson, a Myrtle Beach real estate developer who is active in his church and community. “While I was a student, I took classes under the late Ron Lackey, who was the college chaplain at that time. He was a great inspiration to me; he’s the reason I do what I do.”
The chapel is named for the late Ronald D. Lackey (1938-1999), professor emeritus and former CCU chaplain. The Ronald D. Lackey Service Award is given annually at the honors convocation to the graduating senior who has excelled in service to the university and the community.
The chapel is located across University Boulevard from the horseshoe. The facility is owned by the Coastal Educational Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives charitable gifts in support of the University. According to the agreement, the Jacksons paid for the construction of the chapel building and parking lot, as well as the cost of architectural and engineering services.
The Jacksons and university officials say the chapel will serve students, faculty, alumni and staff members of all faiths for a variety of uses such as memorial services, weddings, campus group functions and other special occasions.
According to the Jacksons’ wishes, the chapel’s traditional architecture and woodland setting complement the natural landscape of the University.
