After the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, students at Pearl River Community College gathered in groups beneath the oak trees on campus to comfort one another.
As a result, PRCC President Dr. William Lewis was inspired to create a campus sanctuary for students to gather to comfort one another in times of need. That sanctuary is Malone Chapel.
“The country was in turmoil and there was a need for prayer and to seek divine guidance,” Lewis said. “Several of us talked about building a place where they could go individually and collectively for prayer and other events.”
As soon as the idea was formed, PRCC’s non-profit, the 501 (c)(3) PRCC Development Foundation, began fundraising efforts.
Foundation president Ernie Lovell said the group raises funds to support the college and provides funding for items outside of the budget, such as scholarship programs, organizations, capital projects and handles communications for the PRCC Alumni Association.
“We award anywhere from 350 to 400 scholarships each year, which amounts to about $300,000 annually,” Lovell said. “Individuals and businesses donate tax-deductible gifts to support the foundation. The chapel is one example of the foundation’s efforts.”
Richie and Sidney were the initial benefactors and the chapel was named Malone Chapel, in memory of their son who was killed in an automobile accident, Digital Media Coordinator and Museum Director Ronn Hague said in a December interview.
“It was a great project that came together rather quickly,” Lewis said. “$800,000 was raised through private fundraising efforts.”
In 2003, Malone Chapel opened. The facility seats 200 and has stained glass windows, Hague said in the December interview.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s winds destroyed the college’s auditorium, Lewis said. Malone Chapel served as a concert hall from 2005 until the opening of the Brownstone Center in 2013.
The chapel is also utilized as a meeting place for school groups such as the Fellowship of Christian athletes, Lewis said.
“It’s a place for students to go for meditation and quiet time,” Lovell said. “The Fine Arts Department also utilizes it for presentations.”
The chapel is a large A-frame and features a 40-foot open cathedral ceiling. There is also a prayer garden where many people have hosted weddings, Hague said in December.
“It’s a heavily, heavily used facility and has been a great asset for our college,” Lewis said.
People who wish to book the chapel can contact Cheryl May, Office of the President, at 601-403-119 or by mail at Pearl River Community College Office of the President, 101 Highway 11 North, Poplarville, MS 39470.