Chapel

A chapel (from Latin: cappella, a diminutive of cappa, meaning "little cape") is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type of these. Second, a chapel is a place of worship, sometimes interfaith,[1] that is part of a building, complex, or vessel with some other main purpose, such as a school, college, hospital, palace or large aristocratic house, castle, barracks, prison, funeral home, cemetery, hotel, airport, or military or commercial ship.[2] Third, chapels are small places of worship, built as satellite sites by a church or monastery, for example in remote areas; these are often called a chapel of ease. A feature of all these types is that often no clergy are permanently resident or specifically attached to the chapel.

For historical reasons, chapel is also often the term used by independent or nonconformist denominations for their places of worship in England and especially in Wales, even where they are large and in practice operate like a parish church.[3][4]

The earliest Christian places of worship are now often referred to as chapels, as they were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated chamber within a building. Most larger churches had one or more secondary altars which, if they occupied a distinct space, would often be called a chapel. In Russian Orthodox tradition, the chapels were built underneath city gates, where most people could visit them; a famous example is the Iberian Chapel.

Although chapels frequently refer to Christian places of worship, they are also found in Jewish synagogues and do not necessarily denote a specific denomination. In England—where the Church of England is established by law—interdenominational or interfaith chapels in such institutions may be consecrated by the local Anglican bishop. Chapels that are not affiliated with a particular denomination are commonly encountered as part of a non-religious institution such as a hospital, airport, university or prison.[5] Many military installations have chapels for the use of military personnel, normally under the leadership of a military chaplain.[6]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Modern usage
* 3 Types of chapel
* 4 Notable chapels
* 5 Gallery
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## History

The Tsrviz Chapel in Armenia, one of the oldest chapels in the world

The earliest Christian places of worship were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated chamber within a building, such as a room in an individual's home. Here, one or two people could pray without being part of a communion or congregation. People who like to use chapels may find it peaceful and relaxing to be away from the stress of life, without other people moving around them.

The Cappella Palatina in Palermo, Italy (pictured), and the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, two of the most famous palace chapels of Europe

The word chapel, like the associated word chaplain, is ultimately derived from Latin.[7] More specifically, the word is derived from a relic of Saint Martin of Tours: traditional stories about Martin relate that while he was still a soldier, he cut his military cloak in half to give part to a beggar in need. The other half he wore over his shoulders as a "small cape" (Latin: cappella). The beggar, the stories claim, was Christ in disguise, and Martin experienced a conversion of heart, becoming first a monk, then abbot, then bishop. This cape came into the possession of the Frankish kings, and they kept the relic with them as they did battle. The tent which kept the cape was called the capella and the priests who said daily Mass in the tent were known as the capellani. From these words, via Old French, we get the names "chapel" and "chaplain".

The word also appears in the Irish language (Gaelic) in the Middle Ages, as Welsh people came with the Norman and Old English invaders to the island of Ireland. While the traditional Irish word for church was eaglais (derived from ecclesia), a new word, séipéal (from cappella), came into usage.

In British history, "chapel" and "meeting house" were formerly the standard designations for church buildings belonging to independent or Nonconformist religious societies and their members.[8] They were particularly associated with the pre-eminence of independent religious practice in rural parts of England and Wales, the northern industrial towns of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and centres of population close to but outside the City of London. As a result, "chapel" is sometimes used as an adjective in England and Wales to describe members of such churches: for example in the sentence, "I'm Chapel."[9]

## Modern usage

Capel Salem, a nonconformist chapel in Pwllheli, Wales. Unlike earlier types of chapel, this chapel is not attached to a larger place of worship.

While the word chapel is not exclusively limited to Christian terminology, it is most often found in that context. Nonetheless, the word's meaning can vary by denomination, and non-denominational chapels (sometimes called "meditation rooms") can be found in many hospitals, airports, and even the United Nations headquarters. Chapels can also be found for worship in Judaism.

"Chapel" is in particularly common usage in the United Kingdom, and especially in Wales, for Nonconformist places of worship;[10] and in Scotland and Ireland for Catholic churches. In England and Wales, due to the rise in Nonconformist chapels during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, by the time of the 1851 census, more people attended the independent chapels than attended the state religion's Anglican churches.[11][12] (The Anglican Church does not function as the established church in Scotland.)

In Catholic Church canon law, a chapel, technically called an "oratory", is a building or part thereof dedicated to the celebration of services, particularly the Mass, which is not a parish church. This may be a private chapel, for the use of one person or a select group (a bishop's private chapel, or the chapel of a convent, for instance); a semi-public oratory, which is partially available to the general public (a seminary chapel that welcomes visitors to services, for instance); or a public oratory (for instance, a hospital or university chapel).

## Types of chapel

Chapels that are built as part of a larger church are holy areas set aside for some specific use or purpose: for instance, many cathedrals and large churches have a "Lady chapel" in the apse, dedicated to the Virgin Mary; parish churches may have such a Lady chapel in a side aisle or a "chapel of Reservation" or "Blessed Sacrament chapel" where the consecrated bread of the Eucharist is kept in reserve between services, for the purpose of taking Holy Communion to the sick and housebound and, in some Christian traditions, for devotional purposes.

Other common uses of the word chapel today include:

Christ the King Chapel on the campus of Christendom College is an example of a college chapel.

* Airport chapel: the first airport chapel was created in 1951 in Boston for airport workers but grew to include travelers. It was originally Catholic, but chapels today are often multifaith.[13]
* Ambassador's chapel – originally created to allow ambassadors from Catholic countries to worship whilst on duty in Protestant countries.
* Bishop's chapel – in Anglican and Catholic canon law, bishops have the right to have a chapel in their own home, even when travelling (such personal chapels may be granted only as a favor to other priests)
* A bridge chapel is a small place of Christian worship, built either on, or immediately adjacent to, a road bridge; they were commonly established during pre-Reformation mediaeval era in Europe. Some chantry chapels are bridge chapels, e.g. the Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Wakefield
* A castle chapel, in European architecture, is a chapel built within a castle.
* A capilla abierta (open chapel) is one of the most distinct Mexican church construction forms, mostly built in the 16th century during the early colonial period.
* Cappella gentilizia - a type of private mortuary chapel used for burials; commonly found in the cemeteries of Italy.
* Cemetery chapel \- an indoor venue in a cemetery where families, friends and clergy gather for funeral services including music, eulogies, Scriptural reading, pastoral prayers and intimate reflection (moments of silence). It additionally protects them from rain, summertime heat or cold wintry weather.
* Chapel of ease – constructed in large parishes to allow parishioners easy access to a church or chapel.
* Chapel of rest – not a place of worship as such, but a comfortably decorated room in a funeral director's premises, where family and friends can view the deceased before a funeral.
* College chapel - located on college or university campuses that are or were once affiliated with a religion
* A court chapel is a chapel as a musical ensemble associated with a royal or noble court. Most of these are royal (court) chapels, but when the ruler of the court is not a king, the more generic "court chapel" is used, for instance for an imperial court.
* Family chapel - private chapel for royal families and other wealthy families.
* Funeral chapel – a venue for funerals or memorial services/celebrations of life at a funeral home. In the case of cremation ceremonies, families and visitors would gather in a crematorium.[14]
* Hospital chapel – location for praying for the sick or recently deceased. It can be used for memorial services or celebrations of life.
* Mausoleum chapel, also known as a Chapel mausoleum: a cemetery chapel featuring above ground crypts where families, friends and clergy gather for funeral services including Scriptural reading, eulogies, pastoral prayers and intimate reflection (moments of silence). It additionally keeps them from enduring weather conditions of summertime heat, cold wintry weather or rain.[15]
* Military chapel – U.S. military bases often have chapels designated for use by varying denominations. As no specific denomination or faith is the "owner", such a site is commonly referred to as a chapel instead of a church, mosque, or synagogue. Service members can often receive services for nondenominational Christian, Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish faiths, as well as information for other services in the local area.
* Multifaith chapel – found within hospitals, airports and universities, etc.; often converted from being exclusively Christian.
* A proprietary chapel is one that originally belonged to a private individual. They were common in the 19th century, often being built to cope with urbanisation. Frequently they were established by evangelical philanthropists with a vision of spreading Christianity in cities whose needs could no longer be met by the parishes. Some functioned more privately, with a wealthy person building a chapel so that they could invite their favorite preachers.[16] They are anomalies in the English ecclesiastical law, having no parish area, but being permitted to have an Anglican clergyman licensed there. Historically many Anglican churches were proprietary chapels. Over the years they have often been converted into normal parishes.
* A royal chapel is a chapel associated with a monarch, a royal court, or in a royal palace.
* A school chapel is a chapel built in or associated with a school, historically found in Anglican or Catholic public schools in England and Wales
* A side chapel is a chapel within a cathedral or larger church building, often a place for quiet prayer or dedicated to a particular saint, or built to house religious objects such as relics.[17] A parecclesion or parakklesion is a type of side chapel found in Byzantine architecture. A Lady chapel is really a form of side chapel: such chapels are common in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. They are dedicated to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
* A slipper chapel is small building where pilgrims used to remove their footwear before completing their pilgrimage into a cathedral, or place of worship.[18]
* Summer chapel – a small church in a resort area that functions only during the summer when vacationers are present.
* Wayside chapel or country chapel – small chapels in the countryside
* Wedding chapel – a venue for weddings.

## Notable chapels

The old premises of St. Ivan Rilski Chapel in Antarctica

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Chapel  | Year  | Location
Bethesda Methodist Chapel | 1887 | Hanley, Staffordshire, England
Boardwalk Chapel | 1945 | The Wildwoods, New Jersey, United States
Brancacci Chapel | 1386 | Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford | 1160–1200 | It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual role as cathedral and college chapel is unique in the Church of England.[19]
Chigi Chapel | 1507–1661 | Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy
Contarelli Chapel | 1585 | Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy
Duke Chapel | 1932 | Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Eton College Chapel | 1440 – c. 1460 | Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England
Chapelle expiatoire | 1824 | Paris, France
Gallus Chapel | 1330–1340 | Greifensee ZH, Switzerland
Heinz Memorial Chapel | 1938 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Henry VII Chapel | 1503 | Westminster Abbey, London, England
Chapel of the Holy Shroud | 1694 | Turin, Italy
King's College Chapel | 1446 | King's College in the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
King's College Chapel | 1831 | King's College, London, England
Lancing College Chapel | 1868 | Lancing College, Lancing, West Sussex, England
Llandaff Oratory | 1925 | Van Reenen, South Africa
Marcùs Chapel | 12th century | Plaça Marcùs, Barcelona, Spain
Magi Chapel | 1459–1461 | Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence, Italy
Medici Chapels | 1519–1524; 1602 | Church of San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy
Niccoline Chapel | 1447–1449 | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Notre-Dame du Haut | 1955 | Ronchamp, France
Palatine Chapel | 786 | Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany
Palatine Chapel | 1132 | Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Pauline Chapel | 1540 | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Pazzi Chapel | c. 1442 – 1443 | Church of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy
Pettit Memorial Chapel | 1907 | Belvidere, Illinois, United States
Queen's Chapel | 1623 | St James's Palace, London, England
Chapelle Rouge | 15th century BC | Karnak, Egypt
Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence | 1951 | Vence, France
Rosary Chapel | 1531–1690 | Puebla City, Puebla, Mexico
Rosslyn Chapel | 1440 | Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland
Rothko Chapel | 1964 | Houston, Texas, United States
Royal Chapel of Granada | 1517 | Granada, Spain
Royal Chapel | designed 1748 | Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain
Royal Chapel, Sweden | 1754 | Stockholm Palace, Sweden
Chapelle royale de Dreux | 1816 | Dreux, Eure-et-Loir, France
St. Aloysius Chapel | 1884 | Mangalore, India
St George's Chapel | 1348 | Windsor Castle, England
Chapel of Saint Helena | 12th century | Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
St. Ivan Rilski Chapel | 2003 | Livingston Island, Antarctica
St. Joan of Arc Chapel | 15th century | Relocated to Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States
St. Paul's Chapel | 1766 | New York City, United States
Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall | 654 | Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, England
St Salvator's Chapel | 1450 | St Andrews University, St Andrews, Scotland
Sainte-Chapelle | 1246 | Île de la Cité, Paris, France
Sansevero Chapel | 1590 | Naples, Italy
Sassetti Chapel | 1470 | Church of Santa Trinita, Florence, Italy
Scrovegni Chapel | c. 1303 – 1305 | Padua, Italy
Sigismund's Chapel | 1519 | Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Sistine Chapel | 1473 | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Skull Chapel | 1776 | Kudowa, Silesia, Poland
Slipper Chapel | 1340 | Norfolk, England
Chapel of the Snows | 1989 | McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica
Tabernacle Chapel | 1874–1877 | Morriston, Swansea, Wales
Chapelle de la Trinité | 1622 | Lyon, France
University Chapel | 1867 | Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, US
Chapels of Versailles | 17th–18th centuries | Palace of Versailles, France

## Gallery

* Teller Chapel in Tartu, Estonia

* The Little Chapel, Guernsey

* Chapelle Saint-Sixte d'Eygalières, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, France

* St. Dimitrius Chapel on the beach of Olympiaki Akti, Greece

* Methodist Chapel in Kent, Ohio, United States

* Confederate Memorial Chapel, Richmond, Virginia, United States

* Vassar Chapel Interior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York

* Interior of Heinz Chapel, University of Pittsburgh

* Forest chapel in Heiligendamm, Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

* Processional Chapel in Varennes, Quebec

* Turvey Abbey, chapel interior

* Open Chapel in Steinfurt, Germany

* Eton College Chapel in Eton College, England

* Avon Old Farms School - the chapel

* Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill House, near London

* Chapel in the Armenian Cathedral Deir Ez Zor

* Gothic Chapel (15th century) in The Chrobry Square, Police, Poland

* Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, largely rebuilt after bombing in 1944

* Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua, Italy

* Chapel in Mirachowo, Kashubia (bd. 1740)

* Chapel at Callaway Gardens in holiday resort

* German castle chapel

* Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska

* The modernist presidential chapel (left) at the Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the President of Brazil

* Funeral chapel at Woodlands Crematorium, Scarborough, England

## See also

* Chapel (music)
* Church (building)
* Father of the Chapel
* Sacri Monti
* Corpse road
* Railroad chapel car
* Chapelle de l'Oratoire, Nantes

## References

1. ↑ "Muslim prayers welcome at Pentagon chapel". http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/18/pentagon.chapel.islam/.
2. ↑ "Catholic Encyclopedia: Chapel". https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03574b.htm.
3. ↑ Wakeling, Christopher (August 2016). "Nonconformist Places of Worship: Introductions to Heritage Assets". Historic England. https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-nonconformist-places-of-worship/heag139-nonconformist-places-of-worshipi-iha.pdf/.
4. ↑ Jones, Anthony (1996) (in en). Welsh Chapels. National Museum Wales. ISBN 9780750911627. https://books.google.com/books?id=k6zjuTAnuzcC. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
5. ↑ Hewson, Chris (1 January 2010). "Multi-faith Spaces: Symptoms and Agents of Religious and Social Change". University of Manchester. http://www.manchester.ac.uk/mfs.
6. ↑ "Royal Army Chaplains' Department" (in en). The British Army. http://www.army.mod.uk/chaplains/chaplains.aspx.
7. ↑ "Definition of Chapel". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapel.
8. ↑ OED "Chapel", 4
9. ↑ The Extended Family: Why are There So Many Different Churches?, Start of Chapter 4, Michael John Hooton, 2016, Wipf and Stock Publisher, ISBN 9781498280860
10. ↑ Also known, perhaps disparagingly, as Ebenezers –  Ebenezer (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Ebenezer (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
11. ↑ Chadwick, Owen (1966). The Victorian Church, Part One: 1829–1859. London: Black. pp. 363–69.
12. ↑ Mann 1854.
13. ↑ Cadge, Wendy (3 January 2018). "As you travel, pause and take a look at airport chapels". The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/as-you-travel-pause-and-take-a-look-at-airport-chapels-87578.
14. ↑ "What Happens at a Cremation Service?". https://www.funeralpartners.co.uk/help-advice/arranging-a-funeral/what-happens-at-a-cremation-service/.
15. ↑ "Inside the Chapel Mausoleum". 20 April 2013. https://www.mausoleums.com/inside-the-chapel-mausoleum.
16. ↑ "Church Society - About - Our Work - St James' Church". http://www.churchsociety.org/aboutus/managed/Properties_StJamesChurch.htm.
17. ↑ Design+Encyclopedia, Side Chapels, accessed on 25 July 2026
18. ↑ Sharpe, Geoffrey R. (2011). Historic English churches: a guide to their construction, design and features. London: I. B. Tauris. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-84885-8077.
19. ↑ "Cathedral | Christ Church, Oxford University". http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral.

## External links

* Russian chapels photo gallery

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