St. Michael Archangel Chapel and Cemetery, Macau

Chapel of St. Michael Archangel, Macau

Capela de São Miguel Arcanjo, St. Michael Archangel Chapel and Cemetery, Macau

Wandering through the twisting cobbled streets of Old Macau, I came across the small, pastel Chapel of St. Michael. The chapel stands surrounded by the lush tropical gardens of the St. Michael Archangel Cemetery, which has tombstones and memorials dating back to the mid 19th century. Many of the graves at the cemetery hold the remains of Portuguese colonial officers and their families, although there are also a large number of local Macanese Catholics buried at the small and crowded, but very well-maintained, cemetery.



A narrow path winds along the cemetery, past the jumble of headstones, monuments, and statuary. As I meandered through the garden, I took a moment to read some of the names. There seemed to be a fairly even mix of Portuguese and Chinese families buried together. The individuals entombed here may be long gone, but nearly all of the tombs have been perfectly preserved, and there were plenty of flowers and rosaries left by very recent visitors atop many of the memorials.

St. Michael Archangel Cemetery, Macau

I've always been of the opinion that people should spend more time visiting cemeteries. This isn't for any morbid reasons, but simply because cemeteries are beautiful, reverent, tranquil places that hold a lot of memories. They tend to be contemplative and quiet. Back in college, I took an aerobic jogging course one semester. The professor liked to lead us on runs through the local cemetery. Cemeteries, he would tell us, are for the living. They are often overlooked, forgotten, but we should try to appreciate them more. After all, they do have plenty of stories to tell if you look hard enough. That professor gave me a brand-new perspective on cemeteries, so when I walked past St. Michael's in Macau, and saw the beautiful old chapel standing in the center, I had to take a look.

blue chapel in Macau with stained glass

Before leaving the historic cemetery, I entered the small capela, or chapel of St. Michael Archangel. The tiled floors kept the chapel cool, despite the tropical heat of the day. Along the back wall, behind a marble alter and statue of St. Michael, three stained glass windows painted the dim interior of the quiet chapel in soft, colorful light.

Sometimes, the most spiritual and reverent places can be the most surprising. You just have to know where to look.

altar and stained glass inside Macau's St. Michael Archangel Chapel

St. Michael Chapel and Cemetery