A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recogniti ...
that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
are often called chapels; the
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as ...
is a common type of these. Secondly, a chapel is a place of worship, sometimes non-denominational, that is part of a building or complex with some other main purpose, such as a school, college, hospital, palace or large aristocratic house, castle, barracks, prison, funeral home, cemetery, airport, or a military or commercial ship. Thirdly, 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 were permanently resident or specifically attached to the chapel.
Finally, for historical reasons, ''chapel'' is also often the term used by independent or
nonconformist denominations for their places of worship in Great Britain, even where they are large and in practice they operate as a
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
.
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
Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
tradition, the chapels were built underneath city gates, where most people could visit them. The most famous example is the
Iberian Chapel.
Although chapels frequently refer to Christian places of worship, they are also commonly found in Jewish synagogues and do not necessarily denote a specific denomination. In England—where the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
is established by law—non-denominational or inter-faith chapels in such institutions may nonetheless be consecrated by the local Anglican bishop. Non-denominational chapels are commonly encountered as part of a non-religious institution such as a hospital, airport, university or prison. Many military installations have chapels for the use of military personnel, normally under the leadership of a
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
.
History
The earliest Christian places of worship were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated
chamber
Chamber or the chamber may refer to:
In government and organizations
* Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests
*Legislative chamber, in politics
* Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...
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/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.
![Chapelle Palatine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Chapelle_Palatine.jpg)
The word "chapel", like the associated word "chaplain", is ultimately derived from Latin. More specifically, the word "chapel" is derived from a
relic of
Saint Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
: 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" ( la, capella). 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
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
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
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...
in the tent were known as the ''capellani''. From these words, via
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intellig ...
, we get the names "chapel" and "chaplain".
The word also appears in the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
in the Middle Ages, as Welsh people came with the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
and
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
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.
![Capel Salem, Pwllheli](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Capel_Salem%2C_Pwllheli.jpg)
In British history, "chapel" or "
meeting house" were formerly the standard designations for church buildings belonging to independent or
Nonconformist religious societies and their members. They were particularly associated with the pre-eminence of independent religious practice in rural regions 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 the UK to describe the members of such churches: for example in the sentence "I'm Chapel."
Types of chapel
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.
A
castle chapel, in European architecture, is a chapel built within a castle.
A
parecclesion or parakklesion is a type of side chapel found in Byzantine architecture.
A
capilla posa (Posa chapel) is an architectural feature of the monastery-ensembles of Mexico in the 16th century, consisting of four vaulted quadrangular buildings located at the ends of the atrium outside them.
A
capilla abierta
A capilla abierta or “open chapel” is considered to be one of the most distinct Mexican construction forms. Mostly built in the 16th century during the early colonial period, the construction was basically an apse or open presbytery containi ...
(open chapel) is one of the most distinct Mexican church construction forms, mostly built in the 16th century during the early colonial period.
A
proprietary chapel
A proprietary chapel is a chapel that originally belonged to a private person, but with the intention that it would be open to the public, rather than restricted (as with private chapels in the stricter sense) to members of a family or household, o ...
is one that originally belonged to a private individual. In the 19th century they were common, 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. 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
court chapel
A court chapel (German: Hofkapelle) is a chapel (building) and/or 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 "co ...
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.
Modern usage
![Kalevankankaan hautausmaan kappeli](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Kalevankankaan_hautausmaan_kappeli.jpg)
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
zh, 联合国总部大楼french: Siège des Nations uniesrussian: Штаб-квартира Организации Объединённых Наций es, Sede de las Naciones Unidas
, image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004.jpg
, im ...
. Chapels can also be found for worship in
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
.
The word "chapel" is in particularly common usage in the United Kingdom, and especially in Wales, for
Nonconformist places of worship; and in Scotland and Ireland for Roman 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. (The Anglican Church does not function as the established church in Scotland.)
In
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
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).
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.
Common uses of the word chapel today include:
*Side-chapel – a chapel within a cathedral or larger church building.
*
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as ...
– really a form of side chapel, but notable separately as such chapels are common in the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and the
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
. They are dedicated to the
veneration
Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Ety ...
of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
.
*Ambassador's chapel – originally created to allow ambassadors from Catholic countries to worship whilst on duty in
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
countries.
*Bishop's chapel – in Anglican and Roman Catholic
canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
, 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)
*Chapel of rest – not a place of worship as such, but a comfortably decorated room in a
funeral director
A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as ...
's premises, where family and friends can view the deceased before a funeral.
*
Chapel of ease – constructed in large parishes to allow parishioners easy access to a church or chapel.
*
Multifaith chapel – found within hospitals, airports and universities, etc.; often converted from being exclusively Christian.
*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
*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, Roman Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish faiths, as well as information for other services in the local area.
*
Wedding chapel
A wedding chapel is a building or room, other than a legal court, where marriages are regularly performed. Usually wedding chapels are for-profit venues to host weddings in resort areas to encourage hotel room stays, catering and gambling by the ...
– a venue for
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
s.
*Funeral chapel – a venue for
funerals at a funeral home, cemetery or crematorium.
The first airport chapel was created in 1951 in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
for airport workers but grew to include travelers. It was originally Catholic, but chapels today are often multifaith.
Notable chapels
Gallery
File:Telleri kabel.jpg, Teller Chapel in Tartu, Estonia
File:Little Chapel op Guernsey.JPG, The Little Chapel, Guernsey
File:St-Sixte 1x.JPG, Chapelle Saint-Sixte d'Eygalières, Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...
, Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
, France
File:StDimitriosChapeliontheBeach.jpg, St. Dimitrius Chapel on the beach of Olympiaki Akti
Olympiaki Akti ( el, Ολυμπιακή Ακτή, ''Olympiakí Aktí'', canonical name) has translation into English as Olympic Beach, Olympic Coast, also still domestically known with its initial name Katerinoskala (Greek: Κατερινόσκα ...
, Greece
File:Kent UMC chapel.jpg, Methodist Chapel in Kent, Ohio, United States
File:Confederate Memorial Chapel interior (8371750859).jpg, Confederate Memorial Chapel, Richmond, Virginia, United States
File:Vassar Chapel Interior.jpg, Vassar Chapel Interior, Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...
, Poughkeepsie, New York
File:Heinz Memorial Chapel, interior.jpg, Interior of Heinz Chapel, University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
File:Heiligendamm Waldkapelle 2010-05-17 043.jpg, Forest chapel in Heiligendamm
Heiligendamm () is a German seaside resort founded in 1793.
It is the oldest seaside spa in continental Europe. Heiligendamm is part of the town Bad Doberan in the States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and historically belongs to Mec ...
, Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
File:Chapelle Sainte-Anne, Varennes.jpg, Processional Chapel in Varennes, Quebec
File:Turvey Abbey, chapel interior - geograph.org.uk - 1199808.jpg, Turvey Abbey Turvey may refer to:
As a surname Sport
* Anna Turvey (born 1980), Irish cyclist
* Joanne Turvey (born 1969), British rower
* Cedric Turvey (1917–1991), Australian rugby league footballer
* Nathan Turvey (born 1977), Australian rules football ...
, chapel interior
File:Little Chapel Steinfurt-Borghorst at night.jpg, Open Chapel in Steinfurt, Germany
File:Eton College Chapel - August 5, 2007.jpg, Eton College Chapel in Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
, England
File:Avon Old Farms School - chapel interior.jpg, Avon Old Farms School - the chapel
File:Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill 01.jpg, Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill House
Strawberry Hill House—often called simply Strawberry Hill—is a Gothic Revival villa that was built in Twickenham, London, by Horace Walpole (1717–1797) from 1749 onward. It is a typical example of the " Strawberry Hill Gothic" style of ar ...
, near London
File:Armenian Cathedral Deir Ez Zor.jpg, Chapel in the Armenian Cathedral Deir Ez Zor
File:0901 Kaplica Gotycka Police ZPL.JPG, Gothic Chapel (15th century) in The Chrobry Square, Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
, Poland
File:Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks - East end - geograph.org.uk - 351924.jpg, Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, largely rebuilt after bombing in 1944
File:La Cappella degli Scrovegni.JPG, Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
, Italy
File:Mirochòwò - kaplica z 1740 roku.JPG, Chapel in Mirachowo
Mirachowo ( csb, Mirchòwò, german: Mirchau) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kartuzy, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Kartuzy and west of the regiona ...
, Kashubia pl, Kaszuby
, native_name_lang = csb, de, csb
, settlement_type = Historical region
, anthem = Zemia Rodnô
, image_map = Kashubians in Poland.png
, image_flag ...
(bd. 1740)
File:17 03 180 chapel.jpg, Chapel at Callaway Gardens
Callaway Resort & Gardens is a resort complex located near Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia, from LaGrange, Georgia. The world's largest azalea garden, this destination draws over 750,000 visitors annually. Callaway Gardens was ranked ...
in holiday resort
File:Schlosskapelle Burgmuseum Alte Burg Meersburg-1.jpg, German castle chapel
File:17 22 185 chapel.jpg, Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska
File:Palacio da Alvorada Chapel.JPG, The modern presidential chapel (left) of the Palácio da Alvorada
The Palácio da Alvorada () is the official residence of the President of Brazil. It is located in the national capital of Brasília, on a peninsula at the margins of Paranoá Lake. The building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built between ...
, the official residence of the President of Brazil
The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...
File:Crematorium Chapel - geograph.org.uk - 455822.jpg, Funeral chapel at Woodlands Crematorium, Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
, England
See also
*
Castle chapel
*
Chapel (music)
*
Church (building)
*
Meeting house
*
Sacri Monti
The (plural of , Italian for "Sacred Mountain") of Piedmont and Lombardy are a series of nine calvaries or groups of chapels and other architectural features created in northern Italy during the late sixteenth century and the seventeenth century ...
*
Corpse road
Corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses, often from remote communities, to cemeteries that had burial rights, such as parish churches and chapels of ease. In Britain, such routes can also be known by a number of other nam ...
*
Railroad chapel car
*
Capilla abierta
A capilla abierta or “open chapel” is considered to be one of the most distinct Mexican construction forms. Mostly built in the 16th century during the early colonial period, the construction was basically an apse or open presbytery containi ...
*
Capilla posa
References
External links
*
*
Russian chapels photo gallery{{Authority control
Types of church buildings