ABOUT
A Roman Sanctuary for English-Speaking Pilgrims
Opened by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, Domus Australia Chapel is entrusted to the Australian Church as a place of welcome in Rome.
Today, it is a living sanctuary of daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Marian devotion. The chapel exists to draw people to Jesus Christ through Mary, offering pilgrims and residents a spiritual home in the Eternal City.
Our Rector
Father Joseph Hamilton
Fr Joseph serves as Rector of Domus Australia Chapel, entrusted with guiding its mission as a sanctuary of Eucharistic worship and Marian devotion. With a background in theology and pastoral leadership, he works to ensure that the chapel remains a place of reverent prayer, sacred beauty, and welcome for pilgrims and residents alike.
A Sanctuary in the Heart of Rome
Domus Australia Chapel was opened by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 as a gift to the Catholic Church in Australia and to the countless pilgrims who journey to Rome each year. Once a Marist seminary, the site was restored under the vision of Cardinal George Pell to give the Australian Church a spiritual home in the Eternal City.
From the very beginning, the chapel has stood as more than an architectural landmark. It is a living sanctuary where the Eucharist is at the centre, Mary is honoured under her title of Our Lady of Pompeii, and the beauty of sacred music and art lifts hearts to God. Each day, the rhythm of Adoration, Benediction, and the celebration of the Holy Mass in English provides a place of encounter for residents, students, and pilgrims alike.
The chapel is entrusted to the care of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, but its mission reaches far beyond national boundaries. In a city filled with treasures of faith, Domus Australia Chapel has a distinctive calling: to offer a reliable centre of English-speaking liturgy, reverent worship, and Marian devotion for all who seek it. Whether you are an Australian pilgrim, a visitor passing through, or someone who has made Rome your home, this is a place where you are welcomed, prayed for, and drawn closer to the Lord.
Our guiding principles are simple but profound: Eucharistic centrality, Marian devotion, beauty that evangelises, hospitality with clarity, partnership over promotion, and faithful stewardship. Every liturgy, every piece of music, every candle lit before the altar flows from these convictions.
Here, Christ is truly at the centre, Mary leads us to Him, and beauty speaks where words may fail. Domus Australia Chapel is not only a national church for Australia, but a living witness that in the heart of Rome, the Church continues to welcome, to pray, and to offer sanctuary for all who come seeking God.
OUR LADY’S SANCTUARY
Discover the miraculous image of Our Lady of Pompeii, Queen of the Holy Rosary, and the devotion that makes this chapel a Marian sanctuary in the heart of Rome.
BEAUTY
Join us each day for Adoration, Benediction, and Mass in English. Find times, details, and all you need to pray with us while you are in Rome.