PANAJI
The Church situated on the banks of the Zuari river in Rachol and close to the Rachol Seminary, is dedicated to Our Lady of Snows. The feast is celebrated on Sunday after the 5th of August every year, this year it will be on August 11.
ORIGIN
The rulers of Vijayanagar empire and Adil Shah of Bijapur fought long battles with each other to take control of Rachol. In 1520, King Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar empire, took the help of the Portuguese to fight against the Adil Shah of Bijapur.
After the victory, the king, in gratitude for the former’s alliance and military help, gave the fort to the Portuguese. By the following year they constructed a chapel in it and dedicated it to St John the Baptist and also appointed a garrison chaplain, who probably was a Dominican.
In 1566, the Companhia de Jesus (the Society of Jesus), who were given the Salcette area for evangelisation, constructed a small church within the walls of the fortress and dedicated it to Our Lady of Snows.
Padre Francisco de Sousa S.J. the writer of Oriente Conquistado, described the church as the ‘Mother church’ (matriz) of all Salcette churches for being the first church. In 1576, the Jesuits built another church of mud, outside the fortress. The one that stands today of stone and lime in Neo-Roman style architecture was constructed between 1584 and 1596. The first Jesuit parish priest was Fr Inacio Rebello (1587) and the last was Fr Manuel Dias (Sept 1759), then the diocese took over the parish.
THE CHURCH
The Church has a single nave with tile roof; its façade has three sections. It has a single tower with the church bell. In front of the church is the Terreiro with the cross. The church has had two historical burials near the altar; one of Diogo Rodrigues, the captain of the forts in 1577 and the other of the Cuncolim Jesuit martyrs in 1583. Their bodies remained here until 1597, they were moved to St Paul’s College, Old Goa, and from there they were laid to rest at Se Cathedral in 1862.
THE ALTARS
The middle altar is dedicated to the patron, whose image is in a glass case. Besides this there are other altars dedicated to different saints.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa)
