Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Fairfield has opened a new Eucharistic chapel dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis, offering a dedicated space for silent prayer in one of Sydney’s busiest and most diverse Catholic communities.
The chapel is open daily from 7am to 7pm, with plans to expand towards perpetual Eucharistic adoration.
Parish priest Fr Bob Bossini said the decision to establish a separate chapel came from a desire to provide a quiet place for prayer distinct from the main church.
“I insisted on a better place for silence,” he said. “It’s a designated quiet spot for people just to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Unlike other parish devotions, the chapel is intended solely for silent prayer, with parishioners asked not to gather there for group recitations or singing, he said.
The new space has been welcomed by parishioners of the large multicultural parish serving families, migrants and young people.
Seating around 40 people, the chapel was created by converting an existing meeting room on the parish grounds.
Fr Bossini said he hopes the chapel will also be used by students from the parish primary school, who already have a close connection to the church.
He said the initiative comes as the church in Australia prepares for the International Eucharistic Congress being hosted by the Archdiocese of Sydney in 2028, with the aim of strengthening Eucharistic devotion in his community.
The chapel was designed and built by Excelsis Projects, with director Christian Abou-Rizk overseeing the work after he was approached in early 2024.
Construction began in October 2025, with careful attention given to materials and atmosphere.
The space features an altar and pews crafted from American oak, along with stained glass designed to create a warm, reflective environment.
“There was a careful selection of materials because that makes a difference in creating a space conducive to prayer,” Abou-Rizk said.
“We installed amber-coloured cathedral glass which brings a soft light into the chapel.”
The chapel is named for Blessed Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist, reflecting the parish’s focus on fostering deeper reverence for the sacrament.
