At the head of the academic quadrangle on Thomas Aquinas College’s California campus stands its most prominent and important structure, Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. The fruit of a dozen years of planning, thousands of contributions from generous benefactors, and more than three years of construction, the Chapel was dedicated on the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, March 7, 2009 — the anniversary of which is observed as a solemnity on the California campus.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel was designed by University of Notre Dame architect Duncan Stroik in collaboration with late Thomas Aquinas College president Thomas E. Dillon. Like the College’s classical curriculum, it is drawn from the greatest sources of the Western tradition. Its dome is representative of the College’s fidelity to Rome; its bell tower evokes California’s Mission history. Together, they announce the essential role of the Catholic faith in the life of the College.
Adorned with original statues, sacred artwork, and Biblical inscriptions, the Chapel is, as Dr. Dillon intended, a church that teaches. Through its every detail and its very design, which has garnered widespread acclaim, the building invites visitors to contemplate the greatest truths of the Faith.
The Chapel is named for Our Lady, our model in all human endeavors because of her unique relationship with the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, the study of which is the culmination of students’ work at the College.
