Chapelle Sainte-Bernadette, chapel in 16th arrondissement of Paris, France

Chapelle Sainte-Bernadette de Paris is a Catholic chapel on Rue d’Auteuil in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The rectangular brick and concrete building has a flat roof, a small bell tower on one side, and a portico with red Burgundy brick, while the interior opens into a central nave with side aisles and a curved ceiling shaped like an overturned boat hull.

The chapel was built on a site once occupied by the home of Pierre Chardon, a doctor known for helping the poor, and his son Pierre-Alfred was born there in 1807. The foundation stone was laid in 1936 and the building was consecrated the following year, designed by architect Paul Hulot.

Local worship here is tied to the nearby parish of Notre-Dame-d’Auteuil, and many people from Portuguese and Philippine backgrounds gather for festivals and prayer. The dedication to Bernadette Soubirous gives the place a special role for visitors who remember her visions at Lourdes.

The chapel is set back from the street and is easy to miss, so look for the brick portico and the small bell tower near the gate. Once inside, take a seat or stand quietly near the choir to see the light coming through the tall stained glass windows.

The nave ceiling is shaped like an overturned boat hull, a deliberate echo of Bernadette’s humble origins in the Pyrenees. The bas-relief of the Virgin Mary near the choir has electric lighting hidden to make her halo of stars glow, a detail many visitors notice only at close range.