There is a place to reflect, pray, meditate and rest at Austin Medical Center.

It is the new AMC Chapel, which was dedicated Tuesday.

“We tried to use as many of our own staff in the project as possible as well as local artisans, too,” said Rod Nordeng, AMC vice president and chapel project manager.

There’s a new sculpture, “Me Too,” adoring the chapel and designed by Natalie Krol.

Most of all, the chapel is a place of peace to enhance the healing environment at AMC.

Design work on the chapel was started last summer. Throughout the project, every effort was made to instill the caring theme at AMC for the body, mind and spirit of AMC patients, family and staff.

According to Nordeng, the chapel design and construction team included representatives from all facets of AMC and the Auxiliary.

“The chapel design and construction committee really took what the architect and designer drew up and worked with it as far as the colors and the design working in tandem,” Nordeng said. “I think every piece in the chapel, whether mounted on the wall or the barreled ceiling or the floor has a story in it.”

A previous chapel was built in 1964, but closed in 1990 to allow for additional patient care space.

The new chapel’s stained glass was designed to create a spiritual setting with the use of light reflecting through the many layers of colored glass.

The hues in the window glass change when the amount of light shines through them.

But the windows are only part of the chapel experience.

Located on the hospital’s second floor, the chapel is next door to infusion therapy and AMC’s medical/surgical pediatrics department and in-patient behavioral health department. It is open 24/7.

The chapel was dedicated by the Ministerial Society of Mower County.

Auxiliary members and other special guests toured the new space.

The AMC Auxiliary donated $100,000 to the chapel project.

“The project came in under budget so the Auxiliary will have the ability to use the dollars for another initiative that will benefit AMC’s patients,” Nordeng said.

AMC carpenters constructed the chapel. The AMC electrician and engineers did the wiring. A sound system was installed by an AMC bio-med engineer.

AMC’s facilities manager, Tim Schneider, crafted a cross.

The Italian plaster walls were done by Terrence Zink, owner of A Touch of Class Painting and Decorating.

Charles Van House, a local artisan, did the stained glass windows.

A bronze sculpture entitled “Me Too” was done by Natalie Krol and symbolizes, Nordeng said, AMC’s mission statement: Caring For Your Life.”

Rope detailing on the flooring, table and chair rail molding on walls has three strands representing the Bible verse “A rope of three strands is not easily broken” from Ecclesiastics.

Karen Olson, president of the AMC Auxiliary, has her own favorite part of the chapel: Krol’s sculpture.

“It’s a family,” Olson said. “A mother and father and their children are embracing.”

“This is a very important sculpture to the staff at AMC,’ Olson said. “The children are raising their arms up to their mom and dad and they’re all embracing each other.”

“The AMC staff feels they take care of the whole family, and this is a symbol of the family,” she said.