The mall at the Prudential Center in Boston is a temple of shopping. But tucked away in the maze of high-end stores and restaurants, next to a Dunkin’ and across from a Shake Shack, sits a different kind of sanctuary.
The St. Francis Chapel is a far cry from the grand architecture of the Old South Church and Trinity Church just down the street.
For decades, this chapel has been a haven for the faithful looking for a place to worship amid the bustle of modern commerce.
And since it’s a short walk from the finish line, the Boston Marathon weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for the chapel. Especially the day before Marathon Monday, when St. Francis hosts its Runner’s Mass.
Pushing beyond capacity
“We count on 300 runners, at least, coming to that Mass,” said Father Jeremy Paulin, director of the chapel.
He’s been at St. Francis for nearly two years and said that the Sunday before the big race is right up there with Christmas or Easter in terms of attendance.
“It’s super packed, which is probably even more than any other Mass we have during the year — with all the runners and their families and the regular people that are going to be there anyway,” Paulin said.
The chapel only holds about 250 to 300 people — which means the Runner’s Mass pushes that capacity to its limits.
“We pack ‘em in. They’re overflowing into the vestibule, into the mall itself,” Paulin said.
For the chapel, the weekend is its own kind of marathon.
This year, they’re giving out a medal with St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost and stolen items, and St. Francis for runners to clip onto their gear.
“We have a special blessing that we give for the runners, too,” Paulin said, “asking God to give them strength and courage and perseverance.”
One runner who has found comfort in these words, Miggo Roque, has about a year left before becoming an ordained priest himself. He ran his first Boston Marathon — which was his first-ever marathon — in 2022.
Roque is part of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, the group that oversees the chapel. So before he ran the Marathon, he knew where to go.
“I get there, and it was packed,” he recalled. “It was full of people with their Boston jackets on. It was really cool, actually, to see that. It was Easter at the same time. It was a perfect combination.”
Roque has run other marathons since then, but still holds that initial race as special. He described it as healing after going through the grind and doubt of training.
“After 26 miles, I was just so exhausted and I was just really grateful,” Roque said. “And I just did this, ‘Ah, thank you, Lord,’ at the finish line.”
Running as a sacred theme
The Bible may not be the sportiest text around, but running is a recurring metaphor used throughout the good book.
“‘Run so as to win,’ St. Paul says. And Isaiah says, ‘You will run and not grow weary,’” Paulin said, quoting from Scripture.
For Paulin and the folks at St. Francis, those ancient lessons are applicable as they welcome runners seeking divine guidance for the road from Hopkinton — and beyond.
“People who are so dedicated to running, to winning, to transfer that — to allow them to bring that into the entirety of their life,” Paulin said. “It’s a marathon, it’s a race, and it’s worth running, it’s worth working for, it’s worth preparing and practicing and living as best you can.”
Come Marathon Monday, once runners finish that exhausting race, many will return to the tiny mall chapel draped in aluminum blankets — this time to give thanks.
