Macau Protestant Chapel

Macau Protestant Chapel, commonly known as Morrison Chapel (Portuguese: Capela Protestante; Chinese: 馬禮遜教堂; Jyutping: maa5 lai5 seon3 gaau1 tong4, pinyin: mǎ lǐ xùn jiào táng) is a small Anglican chapel situated off Camões Square in Santo António, Macau, China. It was originally built in the early 19th century to serve the requirements of employees of the British East India Company, but now serves worshippers of a variety of denominational backgrounds in the diocese of Macau. The present structure was built in 1922.

Traders of the East India Company were engaged in trade with China from the late eighteenth century until 1834. Their charter included stipulations that employees regularly attend divine services, and that chaplains be sent out from England to minister the spiritual needs of employees.

Before 1821, when the land for a chapel and burial ground (now the Old Protestant Cemetery) was purchased, the chapel was probably simply a room at the offices of the British East India Company. The purchase of the burial ground was prompted by the death of Mary Morrison, wife of Robert Morrison, missionary and translator employed by the East India Company. Prior to this, the Portuguese authorities had only allowed Roman Catholic burials in the colony.

Nothing is known about the construction of the first chapel at the site. The first recorded ceremony at the chapel was a marriage in 1833.

In 1834, when the East India Company lost its trade monopoly, responsibility for the Chapel and cemetery was taken by the British government. In 1870 this responsibility was transferred by Deed of Transfer to Trustees consisting of three high ranking representatives of at least two nations having Protestant members living in Macau.

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