Bicentennial Chapel receiving facelift in fiscal 2026

The Garrison’s Religious Support Office received some good news June 6.

An email from the Installation Management Command announced that Redstone Arsenal will receive the first round of religious education facility updates through the Office of Chief of Chaplains contract. The other Army installations selected included Fort Belvoir (Virginia), Meade (Maryland), Knox (Kentucky), Carson (Colorado), Leonard Wood (Missouri) and Hunter Army Airfield (Georgia).

This means that Bicentennial Chapel will be funded to modernize its classrooms and teaching spaces. The email, from Lauren Brown, religious education program director at IMCOM headquarters in San Antonio, said a team will be sent to Redstone to develop an estimate for the updates which would happen in fiscal year 2026.

“As long as the funding holds, it looks like it’s going to be FY ’26 funds,” Frank Leon, director of religious education at the Religious Support Office, said. “What I’m hoping for is to upgrade our classrooms and teaching spaces. Right now, our biggest teaching space is the fellowship hall (within the chapel).”

He anticipates that the IMCOM team’s visit will happen this summer – probably within the July through September time frame.

Bicentennial Chapel will celebrate its 50th anniversary next April. After the chapel’s dedication in 1976, Redstone used both the old post chapel and Bicentennial Chapel until the old post chapel was decommissioned May 8, 1995, and its services consolidated to Bicentennial Chapel. The chapel replaced the carpet in its sanctuary within the past few years.

“It’s good news,” Leon said of the upcoming religious education facility upgrade. “It’s a blessing. I think this shows the Army cares about its Army chapels. And it sets us up for the next 50 years of this chapel.”

Garrison Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kirby Vidrine shared his thoughts on the chapel’s modernization project which will include coordination with the Garrison and Directorate of Public Works.

“It will be a welcome facelift to the facility,” Vidrine said. “It’s a much needed one.”