chapel

Chapel is a building or designated space used for Christian worship. It is typically smaller than a parish church and may lack independent parish status; many chapels are part of a larger institution or estate, or attached to a larger church. Chapels may be dedicated to a saint or to a particular purpose, such as a memorial chapel.

The term comes from Old French chapelle, from Latin cappella. In practice, chapels vary widely in size, layout, and liturgical function. They may contain an altar, seating, a choir, and sometimes an organ or stained glass, but the furnishings reflect their specific use and tradition.

Types commonly include parish chapels in which a community receives worship when no parish church exists nearby; private chapels in residences or estates; collegiate or university chapels within academic institutions; and specialized chapels such as royal or court chapels, hospital chapels, military chapels, and prison chapels. Some chapel buildings are standalone, others are rooms within a larger building.

In many Christian denominations, chapels host regular services, rites of passage such as weddings and funerals, and devotional activities; in others they may be used for occasional or private worship. Historically chapels were central to medieval and early modern religious life across Europe and elsewhere, and today they remain common in institutions and communities worldwide, preserving both worship spaces and architectural heritage.