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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Thomas-des-Indiens is a Catholic religious building built between 1860 and 1865 in Saint-Denis, on Réunion Island. It was erected by the Jesuits to spiritually evangelize and supervise the Indian workers, mainly Tamils, immigrants on the island. A Jesuit priest served in Tamil, and the place was also used to dispense with catechism. The chapel reflects a modest architecture typical of the mid-19th century, with coloured lime coatings.

The mission of Saint Thomas of the Indians was founded in 1852 at the initiative of Monsignor Deprez, the first bishop of Reunion, through the Work of the Propagation of the Faith. After its construction, the chapel became a boarding school run by the Reparators until the 1970s, when it ceased to be a place of worship. It was included in the additional inventory of the Historic Monuments on 22 October 1998, including the garden floor, the fence wall and the gate.

Today, the chapel hosts exhibitions and cultural events, while maintaining its status as property of a cultural association. Its exact address, 55 rue Monseigneur-de-Beaumont, makes it a tangible testimony to the migration and religious history of La Réunion. The protection covers the entire site (cadastre AM 329), highlighting its heritage importance in the urban landscape of Saint-Denis.

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