After my mother’s funeral Mass in Korea, I offered Requiem Masses for her for 83 days.
When that time of prayer came to an end and I returned to Madeira, deep sorrow and longing were still swirling quietly in one corner of my heart.
I had known for some time that there was a small church in Madeira where Mass was celebrated in English. Strangely, however, I had never been there.
Then one day, I made my way to a small chapel in Funchal. Its name is the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França.
I began attending Sunday Mass there on February 25, 2024. Although I had said goodbye to my mother, in prayer I still feel as if I am walking with her.
Would my mother be pleased in heaven?
The Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França
The Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França is not a large and majestic church like Funchal Cathedral. It is a very small and quiet chapel.
When I first entered this place, I thought to myself,
“So there are churches this small, too.”
In English, it is called a “chapel.” In Korean, it may feel like a small church, but more precisely, it is closer to a chapel than to a parish church.
I feel a deep sense of comfort in this small chapel. Of course, large and famous churches are beautiful too, but this chapel has a different kind of peace. A familiar seat, familiar faces, a quiet Mass, and prayers repeated every Sunday — perhaps faith enters the body more deeply through such simple rhythms.
When I enter the chapel for Sunday Mass, Manny, who seems to take care of all the small and large matters of the chapel, welcomes people with a kind smile and helps them find their seats. Receiving that warm greeting, I feel as if Sunday morning begins quietly and peacefully.
A Place Where Sunday Mass Is Celebrated in English
This chapel is the only Catholic place of worship in Madeira where Mass is celebrated in English.
Sunday Mass begins at 10:30 a.m., and before Mass, the Rosary is prayed from 10:00 a.m.
It is neither a Korean Mass nor a Portuguese Mass, but even in English, the flow of the Catholic Mass remains the same.
We make the Sign of the Cross, listen to the Scriptures in the Liturgy of the Word, and receive the homily into our hearts. Then, in the Prayer of the Faithful, we join our prayers for the community and for the world. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we enter the mystery of the Eucharist and contemplate the presence of Christ.
The language is different, but the heart of the Mass is the same.
And in this small chapel, I think of my mother. I remember the faith she held onto throughout her life, the Rosary she prayed every day, and the memories of faith she left behind for me.
Sunday English Mass: 10:30 a.m.
A Small Seaside Chapel Built in 1622
The Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França is said to have been built in 1622 by António Dantas. The word “penha” means a rock or rocky height, and the chapel was built on a rocky site near the sea. Over time, it became a place of Marian devotion, drawing pilgrims from different parts of Madeira. It was restored and enlarged in 1721.
It may be a small chapel, but its history is not small.
For centuries, people have come here to pray to Our Lady. Some must have come carrying the worries of life. Some may have prayed for sick family members. Others, looking out toward the sea, may have asked for safe voyages and protection.
I, too, sit here and pray for my mother.
I pray that my mother’s soul may rest in peace in God, and that I, left behind in this world, may not lose the path of faith even in the midst of sorrow.
“Lord, remember the soul of my mother, Stella, and grant that she may behold Your radiant face.”
“After the purification and penance of purgatory, may she find eternal rest in the heavenly paradise.”
A Prayer Leaning on Our Lady
This chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Penha de França. The devotion to Our Lady of Penha de França is connected to the Marian devotion of Peña de Francia in the Salamanca region of Spain, and later spread to Portugal, the Atlantic islands, and other regions.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood beneath the Cross and looked upon the suffering of her Son. That is why prayer to Our Lady carries a depth beyond simple comfort. Within it, there is the sorrow of a mother who has lost her child, the maternal heart that embraces the suffering of the world, and the faith that remains within God’s will until the end.
In this small chapel, as I look toward Our Lady, I think of my own mother.
My mother loved Our Lady throughout her life. She began her days in prayer and spent so much of her life praying. Perhaps the 83 days of Requiem Masses I offered after her funeral were also a time in which I began to walk again along the path of faith she had left for me.
A Story About Relics of a Saint
Madeira is a well-known holiday destination in Europe, and many tourists visit the island. Since this chapel is known as the only Catholic place of worship in Madeira where Mass is celebrated in English, there are days when the small chapel is filled not only inside, but even out into the courtyard.
Last year, a couple from Canada told me that they had heard there were relics of a saint in this chapel and asked if they could see them. As far as I know, however, there are no relics of a particular saint enshrined in this chapel.
Perhaps the story they had heard was a misunderstanding related to the tombstone of a bishop located near the entrance of the chapel. It is not a saint’s relic, but a piece of Madeira’s Church history rests quietly in front of this small chapel.
The Tombstone at the Entrance — Bishop D. Manuel Agostinho Barreto
On the floor near the entrance of the chapel lies a white marble tombstone. It is the tombstone of D. Manuel Agostinho Barreto, who was Bishop of Funchal.
He served as Bishop of Funchal from 1876 to 1911. He died on June 26, 1911, in the residence attached to the Chapel of Penha de França, and was first buried in the Angústias Cemetery. In his will, he asked that his remains later be placed in a small urn and buried near the main entrance of the Chapel of Penha de França. The transfer of his remains took place on June 26, 1923.
At the bottom of the tombstone, the letters “P.N.” and “A.M.” are engraved. They may be read as a request to pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary for him. At the threshold of this small chapel, I encounter the final humble resting place of a bishop.
The Peace Given by a Small Chapel
The Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França is located near the Bay of Funchal. Close to Funchal’s beautiful coastline, it is a small, modest, yet beautiful chapel beside the sea and the harbor.
Another interesting story is that the Portuguese writer António Feliciano de Castilho once stayed in the former residence attached to this chapel.
The story of Castilho continues in the post below.
Portuguese Writer Castilho and the Marian Chapel in Madeira Where He Once Stayed: https://stella-mum.tistory.com/339
Portuguese Writer Castilho and the Marian Chapel in Madeira Where He Once Stayed
In Funchal, Madeira, there is a small Marian chapel near the sea. Its name is the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França.This small chapel holds not only a history of prayers offered to Our Lady, but also the story of a figure from Portuguese literary hist
stella-mum.tistory.com
Perhaps because this chapel is small, the heart lingers there more closely. In a large church, the eyes are drawn upward to the ceiling, the columns, the altar, and the decorations. But in a small chapel, the heart quietly descends inward.
Visitor’s Note
Chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França
Sunday English Mass: 10:30 a.m.
Address: Rua da Penha de França, No. 3, Funchal
On a pilgrimage path towards my mother, now a star
– Little Star
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