St Andrew’s church in Vasco is one of the largest in terms of its number of parishioners in the Mormugao Taluka. At present its catholic population is around 19,000 plus, who pay their obeisance to their patron St Andrew the Apostle of Jesus
History records indicate that St Andrew’s church is one ofthe oldest churches in Mormugao, having been built by the Jesuits, and blessedin the year 1570. Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas says, “The inner layout of thechurch, with its arrangement of doors and windows, resembles the Pope’saudience hall in Castel Gandolfo on the outskirts of Rome.”
The main altar in the centre is dedicated to St Andrew theApostle. The two other collateral altars on either side are dedicated to OurLady of Guia (Guidance) on the right and the other to Good Jesus on the left.Consequent to the renovation and extension of the church in 2009 these altarswere painted a glittering shade of gold, giving it a magnificent look.
History documents that the jurisdiction of St Andrew’sparish church once extended from the Port of Mormugao right up to St JacintoIsland on the Eastern end and further up to the village of Issorcim in theSouthern end. The neighbouring village of Chicalim was once affiliated to theSt Andrew’s parish until it built its own parish church in 1625.
St Andrew’s parish church in Vasco served the role of themother of all parishes in Mormugao taluka. The parish had earlier, in itsjurisdiction, the St Francis Xavier’s Chapel at Mormugao Harbour
which subsequently became a parish church in 1971, followedby Our Lady of Candelaria Chapel (Baina) and Our Lady of Desterro Chapel whichwere progressively elevated to full-fledged parishes, with independent jurisdictionand charge from the status of a chapel in 1978 and 1997 respectively. In theabsence of burial ground at the neighbouring Harbour and Desterro parishes, thedeceased are laid to rest in the St Andrew’s parish cemetery.
