On-campus Chapel closed at Thomas Aquinas College due to nearby earthquake
SANTA PAULA, Calif. – A recent cluster of earthquakes around Ojai, including a peak 5.1-magnitude earthquake, contributed to the closure of the chapel on campus at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula.
That 5.1-magnitude earthquake happened around 2:40 p.m. on Sunday just four miles southeast of Ojai.
A message on Thomas Aquinas College's website from Dean Michael J. Letteney detailed that one of the bells inside the on-campus Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel was shaken loose from its carriage, but that no structural damage has been detected as of yet.
Due to that loose bell, the entire Chapel has been closed until later this week pending a thorough evaluation and the Convocation Mass scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled detail on-site personnel.
The Matriculation ceremony in St. Cecilia Hall is still scheduled for 10:15 a.m. to welcome incoming freshmen and no classes have been canceled due to damage from the quakes.