Around 100 people gathered at the church for the ceremony where the chapel was inaugurated.

The chapel features an altar topped with a statue of the Virgin and Child as well as two screens showing words taken from the Bible and speeches.

It also includes a touch screen where people will be able to leave their player intention or enter their contact details to request spiritual support.

"Many athletes ask us to take care of their spiritual life," said Philippe Marsset, the auxiliary bishop of Paris, in a report by Paudal.

"They take care of their bodies, and don’t have time to take care of their souls.

"I hope that they, of all levels, will be able to find here a place of listening and speaking."

Some people who attended the ceremony wore sports jerseys and brought sporting equipment including rackets and bicycles.

The sports chapel is part of the Diocese of Paris’ "Holy Games" project to support the staging of the Olympics and Paralympics.

"One of our first missions, requested by the [International Olympic Committee, is to lead the chaplaincy of the Olympic Village," said Isabelle de Chatellus, director of the Holy Games project in a report by Time News.

"There will be several rooms including one for Christians.

"[At London 2012] there were nearly 7,000 requests for support from athletes."

A mass is due to be held at the Madeleine Church in Paris on Thursday (September 14) before France are due to take on Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup.

A 10 kilometre race is scheduled to be held on October 8, connecting Sacré-Coeur to the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis which de Chatellus says is "very symbolic because it will pass through the future Olympic Village".