When the pandemic threatened to knock the College chapel offline, rugby alumni stepped up to put services online.
Churches and chapels across the state were closed at the height of the pandemic, but College Chaplain Fr. Larry Anderson, O.F.M., never skipped a Sunday 11:00 AM service. Using equipment borrowed from Siena's IT department, Sunday morning Mass was streamed on the recently created Siena College friars Facebook page. It was a temporary fix. Siena rugby alumni came along with a permanent solution.
Former college rugby players raised the funds to buy all new equipment for the chapel. Before churches were permitted to open their doors, Siena's Mass would attract more than 1,500 viewers online at once. And though worshipers are once again allowed in the pews, the equipment will stream more than Sunday Mass. Fr. Larry expects to stream weddings, baptisms, and prayer services - all from multiple angles.
This October, there will be a wedding on campus; unfortunately family in Florida won't be able to attend. But thanks to rugby alumni, they'll have their own front row seat to the ceremony.
"This addition to the Chapel will allow us to minister to our alumni and friends beyond the Capital Region. Special thanks to the Siena rugby alumni who were so very generous in helping us reach this goal."
Fr. Larry Anderson, O.F.M., chaplain