Open House for the Prayer Wall at Vail Health Frechette Chapel

Prayer Wall Open House

Join us in celebrating the Prayer Wall at the new Vail Health Frechette Chapel. Thanks to the partnership of B’nai Vail Congregation, featured inside the chapel is a replica of the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem. The stones for the wall are made of the same stone used by King Solomon in building the Temple in Jerusalem.

Sunday, July 16, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Frechette Chapel, Vail Health Hospital
180 South Frontage Road, Vail, CO

The event is free and open to all. Registration is not required. Free parking is available at the Lionshead Parking Structure.

History of the Western Wall

For centuries, the Kotel or Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City has served as a sacred place of prayer for people of all faiths. What remains today is a retaining wall built by Herod the Great during the Roman period that holds significance due to its proximity to King Solomon’s Temple.

The Western Wall has three distinct stone layers. The largest stone blocks that compose the base are from the King Herod period. The medium-sized stones are from the time of Islamic rule. Lastly, the smaller stones found on the top represent the Ottoman Empire.

The Jerusalem stone in the Western Wall came from a rock quarry near Mitzpe Ramon, located south of Jerusalem. The stones purchased for the Vail Health wall were extracted from the same quarry using traditional methods and are made of the same stones used by King Solomon and, later, King David in the Temple in Jerusalem.  

The custom of leaving a prayer or positive intention written on paper and placed inside the cracks of the Western Wall started nearly 300 years ago. In keeping with this tradition, there are spaces between the stones on the Vail Health wall so visitors can leave a prayer intention. It is believed that these thoughts and intentions transcend to heaven through the holy stones.