Església de Sant Sever i Sant Vicenç de Paül
Built: 1884-1886
Founded: 1884
Function: Parish church; chapel of religious community
Address: Provença 210
A beautiful example of neo-gothic ecclesiastical design in Barcelona, the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul was part of a complex built in the Eixample district between 1884-1886 as a chapel for the Congregation of the Mission, founded by St. Vincent de Paul. It was designed by architect Camil Oliveras Gensana, the official architect of the Barcelona City Council and a colleague of Antoni Gaudí, who worked with Gaudí on a number of buildings around the city.
Still run today by Vincentian priests, the chapel and the surrounding structure were designed to host popular missions, visiting preachers, help those discerning vocations, and provide spiritual direction to Barcelona’s newest and expanding neighborhood.
As the area grew in population the Archdiocese became concerned about the need for more parishes in the neighborhood. In 1969, on request from then then-Archbishop, the order asked that the chapel be raised to the level of a parish church, and agreed to turn over part of their facilities for use as parish offices and classrooms for Catholic education purposes. The new parish was named St. Severus and St. Vincent de Paul, after Barcelona’s martyred 4th century bishop and the founder of the Congregation of the Mission.
