The Chapel of the Holy Dove is a historic chapel near the San Franciso Peaks on Highway 180 between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. This chapel was donated to FCF, but is open to all travelers as a place for rest, reflection, and prayer. The chapel is also a popular venue for small weddings.
History of the Chapel of the Holy Dove
The Chapel of the Holy Dove sits on a parcel of land originally part of a small ranch purchased by Watson M. Lacy, MD in 1960. He was the only physician at the Grand Canyon Hospital, which he operated with his wife, Ruth. They came to this area for respite from the demands of the medical practice at the Canyon. The beauty of the Peaks affirmed the goodness and majesty of God. They wanted to give travelers the opportunity to share it. In the summer of 1961, with the help of his sons and some hired hands, the 41-year-old Lacy, with no experience as a builder, used explosives to create holes in the rock beneath the Chapel to secure and position the large Ponderosa Pine logs which comprised the original A-shaped structure framing the San Francisco Peaks. Local volcanic rock and petrified wood was used to build the supporting stone walls. This was a project for intermittent days off from his practice at the Canyon. The Chapel was completed in 1962. Dr. Lacy died October 1991. The ranch property was sold but the parcel on which the Chapel stands remains in the trust of his widow.
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