Chapelle Saint-Vincent-de-Paul
The motherhouse chapel of the Congregation of the Mission at 95 rue de Sèvres, where pilgrims pray before the bodily relics of Saint Vincent de Paul above the high altar.
- Location
- Paris, France 48.8498° N · 2.3230° E
- Type
- Relic Chapel A 19th-century Vincentian chapel ordered around the high altar and the silver reliquary above it
- Dedication
- Saint Vincent de Paul His bodily relics above the high altar and the living mission of the Congregation he founded
- Time Needed
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
A Chapel of Charity and Mission
The eye is drawn upward to the reliquary above the high altar, but the chapel's meaning lies beyond ornament. This is the house of the missionary community Vincent founded. Pilgrims come before his relics to remember a holiness made concrete in parish missions, priestly formation, care for abandoned children, service to prisoners, and organized charity among the poor.
The Motherhouse and the Relics
The Congregation of the Mission, founded by Saint Vincent de Paul in 1625, was expelled from Saint-Lazare during the French Revolution and established its motherhouse on rue de Sèvres in 1817. The present chapel was built in 1826 and 1827 to receive Vincent's relics. On 25 April 1830 they were carried in solemn procession to the chapel and placed above the high altar. The official Vincentian account distinguishes the preserved skeletal relics from the wax face and hands visible to the pilgrim. His heart is venerated separately at the nearby chapel of the Daughters of Charity on rue du Bac.
The nave leads directly toward the high altar and the silver reliquary raised above it. Two stairs flank the altar, making the approach to Saint Vincent's relics part of the chapel's structure. Side aisles, paintings, and memorials widen the visit into the missionary history of the Lazarists without displacing the altar as its center.
This is one of the most important Paris stops for understanding Catholic charity.
It is close enough to Rue du Bac to visit the two chapels together.
The chapel is Vincentian before it is ornate. Prayer before the founder belongs to the same charism as service to the poor and the missionary formation carried from this motherhouse into the world. The nearby Rue du Bac chapel completes the geography: the Daughters of Charity, Saint Louise de Marillac, Saint Catherine Labouré, and Saint Vincent's heart relic are a short walk away.
What to notice.
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The relic chapel context
The silver reliquary by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot stands above the high altar with stairs on either side, so the approach to Saint Vincent's relics is built into the chapel itself.
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The closeness to Rue du Bac
Saint Vincent's heart is venerated at the Daughters of Charity chapel on rue du Bac, close enough that the two Vincentian chapels complete each other in a single visit.
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The shift from monumental Paris to charitable mission
This is the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission, established on rue de Sevres in 1817, where prayer before the founder belongs to the same charism as parish missions and service to the poor.
- How Vincentian holiness is practical rather than theatrical.
- The relationship between prayer and works of mercy.
- The chapel’s place in a compact Left Bank pilgrimage route.
How much time, and what to do with it.
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Enough for a focused relic chapel visit.
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Allows slower prayer and time to pair the visit with Rue du Bac.
How to visit well.
Use the Congregation of the Mission's chapel page before setting out, because it does not publish a dependable daily visitor schedule. Enter quietly through the motherhouse, pray before the high altar, and leave time for the side-aisle missionary tombs before continuing to rue du Bac.
- Prayer before the relics of Saint Vincent de Paul
- The Eucharistic and missionary life of the Congregation of the Mission
- Pilgrim visits within an active religious house
Verify access before crossing Paris.
The official Vincentian page confirms the chapel, address, nearest Métro, and relic context, but does not provide a dependable daily opening schedule.
- Address
- 95 rue de Sèvres, 75006 Paris
- Nearest Métro
- Vaneau, Line 10
What pilgrims come to venerate here.
Tomb and Burial
- The bodily relics of Saint Vincent de Paul are venerated in the silver reliquary above the high altar. Wax models form the visible face and hands over the preserved skeletal relics.
Relics and Sacred Tradition
- The relics of Saint Vincent de Paul were translated to the chapel in 1830 after surviving the French Revolution.
- Saint Vincent's heart is kept separately at the Daughters of Charity chapel at 140 rue du Bac.
- The side aisles keep the tomb memory of the Vincentian missionary martyrs Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre and Saint Francis Regis Clet.
Sacred Objects
- The silver reliquary by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot stands above the high altar and is approached by stairs on either side.
- The chapel and adjacent relic room preserve the memory of Saint Vincent, Saint Louise de Marillac, and the missionary martyrs of the Vincentian family.
How this place gathers the saints.
Within walking distance.
Plan your visit.
Edited from the Congregation of the Mission's official chapel history, existing Eternal Roam Saint Vincent de Paul data, and the official Rue du Bac chapel sources. The page distinguishes the preserved skeletal relics from the wax modeling visible in the reliquary and keeps Vincentian charity and mission at the center.
July 12, 2026