It is the first church built in Cachoeira as part of the Adorno family sugar plantation and is home to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Help (Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda).

[2][4][3] The Chapel of Our Lady of Help sits atop a hill within Cachoeira and is approached by three steeply sloped streets.

The chapel sits as part of a complex of numerous sobrados of the sugar mill of the Adorno family.

The much larger Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary was completed at the base of the Ladeira da Ajuda by the beginning of the 18th century.

The chapel was once a focal point of Cachoeira, due to its placement on a hill, but is now surrounded by the urban growth of the city.

The bell tower and choir are accessed via an external stairway, a feature common to other early churches in Brazil.