Bishopscourt Chapel

This photo was taken in the small, beautiful chapel at Bishopscourt, we popped in this morning.

The earliest Christian places of worship are often referred to as chapels as they were not dedicated buildings but rather a dedicated chamber within a building.

The word "chapel" is derived from a relic of Saint Martin of Tours. Traditional stories about Martin say that while he was still a soldier, he cut his military cloak in half to give part to a beggar in need. The other half he wore over his shoulders as a "small cape" (Latin: capella). The beggar was Christ in disguise and Martin experienced a conversion of heart, becoming first a monk, then abbot, then bishop. His cape came into the possession of the Frankish kings and they kept the relic with them as they did battle. The tent which kept the cape was called the capella and the priests who said daily Mass in the tent were known as the capellani. Our word chapel derives from these words.