Onawa2

Road Trip- In 1920, Philadelphia doctor and summer resident Dr. Elise Rose and her friend Alice Gagnon, both devout Catholics, starting making plans for a church for the community of Onawa.Their quest for a suitable piece of land was not an easy one, and it was long. In 1933, a neighbor, Alfred A. Burke, offered the land across from his home, just up from the lake shore. Donations were accepted and construction began. Long before the 'ecumenical movement' would occur, Catholic and their Protestant neighbors all chipped in with donations and labor. Along with the building of the chapel, other aspects were needed. Dr. Rose commissioned a sculptor, Conway Sawyer, to make the figure of the 'Virgin of the Chapel', had stained glass windows and a pump organ shipped from her home in Philadelphia. Along the way, brass candlesticks and a crocheted lace tablecloth were added. In 1957, Mr. Burke died and the land and chapel were passed to his son. Soon, the beautiful place of worship was complete, but with a interesting problem-- no worshippers to speak of; two Catholics and the Burke family, that was it. Protestants, at the time, were meeting for services at area homes, rotating throughout the summer, with the Rev. Alfred Hempstead. The Burke family offered the chapel to the their Protestant friends for summer services, and in the summer of 1970, the Alfred A. Burke Memorial Chapel held its first service.