A new residence hall for Philadelphia’s Jesuit priests was completed, named Arrupe Hall, on St. Joseph’s University campus in the spring of 2021, writes Inga Saffron of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The residence will house 15 priests that work at the university, St. Joseph’s Prep School, and at other locations in the area.

While many other beautiful religious buildings and chapels have been sold off or demolished due to decreasing numbers, the construction of the Hall runs in opposition to those trends. It had been carefully constructed of brick and stone with the same level of devotion as many of the older, traditional Catholic churches and cathedrals.

The $12 million dollar project came about because the Province needed to downsize as the population of Jesuits continued to dwindle. Wanting to consolidate all under one roof, the concept of Arrupe Hall was born and was named after a Jesuit missionary who took care of the wounded In Hiroshima.

The residence and attached chapel were the work of Moto Design Shop, one of the few remaining companies in Philadelphia that still work with brick and create intricate designs.

At St. Joseph’s University, Moto’s work is modern but explicitly religious, using the chosen building materials to help showcase the history of Christianity in the very structure of the building itself.

Read more about Arrupe Hall in The Philadelphia Inquirer.