KEY TAKEAWAYS: Madonna Chapel in White Castle measures just 81 square feet and has been recognized as the world’s smallest church. Italian immigrant Anthony Gullo built the chapel in 1903 after his son recovered from a serious illness. The chapel was relocated and rebuilt in 1924 during leve e construction, expanding from 7-by-7 feet to 9-by-9 feet. An annual Aug. 15 Mass continues to draw 90 to 150 visitors, despite the chapel having no parishioners.   On the side of a road in Southeast Louisiana, sits a tiny white chapel that’s no larger than a small shed. A key hidden in a small mailbox unlocks the portal doors to the inside, where a kneeler is placed in front of a modest altar adorned with figures of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. On one of the walls, a framed piece of paper details the history of the petite church, including that it was featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” as the smallest church in the world. Madonna Chapel in White Castle, Louisiana is the smallest church in the world Madonna Chapel was built by Italian farmer Anthony Gullo in 1903 after he vowed to build a church in honor of the Virgin Mary if his son recovered from a serious illness. Gullo’s son recovered and Gullo kept his promise, constructing a modest church using wood from Louisiana cypress trees that were donated by neighbors. The finished structure measured 7 feet by 7 feet. The chapel was later moved in 1924 amid the construction of a new levee and was rebuilt slightly larger, now measuring 9 feet by 9 feet, says Iberville Parish Government. Since it’s construction in 1903, a yearly Mass has been celebrated on Aug. 15 for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, despite having no parishioners. Between 90 to 150 people come to the small chapel for the Mass, embarking on a kind of mini-pilgrimage. The chapel is maintained by one individual caretaker, but many residents take part in the upkeep by raffling items for proceeds for maintenance and preparing the chapel for its annual Mass, according to The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at [email protected] This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The world’s smallest church in Louisiana measures only 81 square feet Reporting by Presley Bo Tyler, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less