CLEVELAND -- Like many travelers since Sept. 11, Hans Holthausen makes a quick visit to the airport chapel before boarding his flights.
"When I am in a busy city, with all the things going on, it is nice to find a place to calm down and gather your ideas," Holthausen told the Associated Press from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Airport chapels, which see thousands of visitors each day, have been in greater demand following the terrorist attacks, said the Rev. John Jamnicky. Jamnicky is coordinator of ministry to travelers for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
There are 35 airport chapels in the United States and another 100 around the world, Jamnicky told the AP. Many began as gathering places for Roman Catholic travelers or airport workers but now are open to all faiths, he said.
The Rev. Chester Cook, a Methodist minister in Atlanta, is encouraging officials at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport to include a second chapel in its expansion plans. But he claims airports are sometimes reluctant to give additional space to nonprofit chapels when airport space is considered premium property, according to the AP.
Jamnicky said a bigger challenge to adding chapels is the ability to staff them. Most airport chapels are staffed part-time by local churches, many of which could not spare extra time or expense, he said.
