Best seat in the house
THE PLAIN WOODEN BENCH
There are many places on the Manresa campus that might be considered the “Best Seat in the House”. Usually, there are not too many reasons that one might consider a plain wooden bench to be such. But this plain wooden bench sticks out among others you may recall. This plain wooden bench sits just outside of Manresa’s Sacred Heart Chapel, which was built in 1859. Located on what most retreatants might recognize as the “far side” of the chapel, this plain wooden bench is well off the beaten path. It is set back from the sidewalk, nestled in its own private cul de sac among verdant azaleas. Deciduous crepe myrtles reduce the heat in summer, yet invite it in winter. With the obvious exception of when there is a scheduled activity in the chapel, a person sitting on this plain wooden bench may not even see one other person while he is there. As a retreatant sits on this plain wooden bench reading, relaxing, or praying, birds fly by or stop to visit, and squirrels jump from tree to tree. Just steps away, the chapel’s exterior offers timeless beauty and its interior offers instant relief from the weather, as well as the priceless presence of Christ’s body and blood in the consecrated host. Surely, this plain wooden bench has to be one of the “Best Seats in the House”!