Macau: Chapel of St Francis Xavier

The brightly coloured facade of St Francis Xavier Chapel

After our early lunch, my friend took me to see the Chapel of St Francis Xavier. I told her I'd visited Morrison Chapel, but she promised me the one of St Francis Xavier was even smaller.

The church is painted a brilliant yellow and white, and the baroque-style facade makes it look much larger than the Morrison Chapel. Built in 1928, it stands behind a monument commemorating a local victory over pirates in 1910.

Inside is small, but also lots of colour too!

However, inside it is quite small, with only a few pews, and the chancel, where the altar is, the area is painted a deep sky blue, with doves, and to the right are some red Chinese lanterns.

Off to the side of the main chapel area is a small room filled with pictures of parishioners from decades ago, as well as portraits of Pope John Paul II, the current Pope and Mother Theresa. There's also a Chinese painting of what many call the Chinese Mary, with her Chinese robes and headdress carrying a small baby Chinese Jesus.

The chapel also holds some important relics, including the bone from the arm of St Francis Xavier, who did a lot of evangelical work in Asia in the 1500s.

He wanted to spread the word of God to China, but died in Sangchuan Island in 1552 shortly before a boat was supposed to take him to the mainland.

St Francis Xavier was well known for converting Japanese to Christianity and so many Japanese Christians visit the church today.

A portrait of the Chinese Mary with Jesus

Chapel of St Francis Xavier
Rua do Caetano

Largo Eduardo Marques

Coloane