THE ORIGIN
There was a small chapel on the island constructed before 1731 which was under the jurisdiction of Sancoale parish. A few years later, with the permission of the Archbishop of Goa, Dom Manuel de Santa Catarina on March 24, 1794, it was reconstructed and thrown open to the public on May 24, 1798.
The next Archbishop, Dom Manoel de S Galdino (1812-1831), a Franciscan, gave permission to extend the Chapel to accommodate the growing catholic population on the island, which was done in 1830. The chaplain by the order of March 27, 1848, was asked to run the chapel like a parish, by even creating a confraria. It was raised to the status of a parish on April 16, 1853; the locals called it Saint Hyacinthi Cathedral Church. It was extended in 1888 and the confraria bore its expenses.
The new parochial residence was constructed on May 14, 1989. The same was renovated with new tiles at the entrance and exit.
As the church building is near the river, Fr Michael Alleluia Fernandes constructed a stone embankment around the boundary of the church; he also must have repaired the 14 stations of the Cross in the church compound.
In the middle of the church compound is a Cross of stone and on it is the date, the month and the year inscribed as 20-1-1998. The same was repaired by late Reginaldo Sabino Rodrigues’ family.
The church has a simple tower on the right with a bell. On the front façade above is the statue of the patron, St Jacinto, in a glass case.
THE ALTARS
The church has four altars, which are dedicated to St Jacinto, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Sorrows and Sacred Heart of Mary and Jesus.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.)
