Chapel of Our Lady of Help, Neo-Manueline Catholic chapel in Salvador, Brazil

The Chapel of Our Lady of Help is a Neo-Manueline church designed by Italian architect Júlio Conti and consecrated in 1932. It consists of a nave, choir, a single lateral chapel and sacristy, set behind a small fenced churchyard. Inside, the 17th-century wooden pulpit used by António Vieira stands near colonial altars, and the main stained glass window shows Our Lady of Help among lilies and stars.

The Jesuits built the first Chapel of Our Lady of Help in 1549 under Manuel da Nóbrega, with a thatched roof; it became Bahia's first cathedral, the "Sé da Palha", in 1551. A stone-and-lime church replaced it in 1579. The colonial church was demolished in 1912 for an urban reform; the present Neo-Manueline church, designed by Júlio Conti, was consecrated in 1932 and listed by IPHAN in 1938.

The name comes from Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, a ship in Tomé de Sousa's 1549 fleet whose image was kept aboard. The image venerated on the high altar is held to be that same one. The church was the first cathedral of Bahia, nicknamed "Sé da Palha" for its straw roof, and the Jesuit António Vieira preached from its 17th-century wooden pulpit, including a 1640 sermon on the Portuguese arms against Holland.

The chapel sits on Rua da Ajuda and remains an active place of worship under the Catholic Archdiocese of Salvador. Plan to visit during hours when the church is open to the public and dress respectfully, as it functions as a working religious space.

The architect was Júlio Conti, not Giulio Conti. The colonial church was demolished in 1912 and split down the middle to open a small access road behind the present building, which was consecrated in 1932. The 17th-century wooden pulpit inside is the one from which António Vieira preached his 1640 sermon on the success of Portuguese arms against Holland.