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Boyda Joins Representatives Ike Skelton and Chet Edwards for Fort Leavenworth Chapel Groundbreaking

TOPEKA, KS – Nearly seven years after St. Ignatius Chapel was destroyed by fire in 2001, ground was broken today for a new Fort Leavenworth Chapel. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) gave remarks at the ceremony. Joining her for this important event, were Rep. Ike Skelton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Chet Edwards, Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Sub-Committee, and Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell IV, Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth.

With the loss of St. Ignatius, the two remaining chapels on Post continued to serve the spiritual needs of the Fort Leavenworth community. Space, however, was a very real problem with 1,600 people attending worship services and about 2,000 people receiving religious education weekly. Although an auditorium and 17 classrooms were made available for religious services and activities, the need for another chapel was clearly evident.

Boyda said, “When I toured Fort Leavenworth and saw firsthand just how important faith, and a dedicated building to celebrate that faith, is to the Leavenworth community, I returned to Washington and requested federal funding for a new chapel.”

The end result was that the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act and the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill included $11.6 million for Phase One of a new chapel complex at Fort Leavenworth. Then, the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act and the Fiscal Year 2009 MILCON/VA Appropriations Bill included another $4.2 million for Phase Two.

Boyda said, “A place of worship is important any time, but a main-post chapel is crucial in war-time. As our fighting men and women continue to put themselves in harm’s way, we must ensure their families have a place for sanctity and prayer.”