CHRONICLES OF GOAN CHURCHES
The Church at Nerul is dedicated to Our Lady of Remedios, it is known as Nossa Senhora dos Remedios Igreja, Goa in Portuguese. The parish celebrates the feast on the last Sunday of October, which this year falls on October 26.
THE ORIGIN
The Franciscans established the first church, of mud with thatched walls, at Nerul in 1569 and they dedicated it to Nossa Senhora dos Remedios Saibin. Historian Ricardo M. Tellis, however, records that it was originally dedicated to Our Lady of Bethel, though the faithful called it Our Lady of Remedios. Before the construction of this church, the first Christians of Nerul came under the Verem parish.
The church became independent in 1585 during the Rectorship of Frei Conçalo de Monção, who was also its first parish priest. He was succeeded by Frei Francisco Cordeiro in 1595.
In 1683, when the Marathas under Chhatrapati Sambhaji took control of Bardez, many Franciscan priests left their areas with their sacred possessions. The Marathas attempted to burn the church here thrice, but Frei Sebastian de Diogo, the parish priest at that time, managed to defend the church from being destroyed.
The last Franciscan parish priest of Nerul was Fr Manoel do Rosario (1766–67). According to Leopoldo da Rocha, there were 51 Franciscan parish priests who served in the church. Thereafter, the administration was taken over by the Archdiocese, and the first diocesan priest was Fr Jeronimo Salvador da Costa. The present stone-built structure was constructed much later.
The church was whitewashed with lime in 1839. During the church’s fourth centenary in 1969, a commemorative stone was placed on the left side of the main door. The cemetery was extended in 1986–87, and the compound wall was built in 1987. The church celebrated 450 years of its existence in 2018-19.
THE CHURCH
The present church is a three-storey Portuguese-era structure built in an antique Neo-Roman style. The façade is distinctive, with twin towers and pagoda-style roofs. Each tower has a bell: the bigger one to the right and a smaller one to the left. The bigger bell originally belonged to the Church of Cruz Milagres and was given to Nerul Church by the Portuguese in 1835. It bears the inscription: Da Cruz dos Milagres – 1683 – Malora Chantim.
The church has three doors, and above them are written the words: Our Lady of Remedies Church – Nerul, Goa. Inside, the church treasures several old paintings on wooden panels and walls, depicting scenes and saints such as of St Anthony, St Francis of Assisi, the Nativity (left side), St Francis Xavier, Holy Family at work, the Annunciation, Mary Magdalena washing the feet of Jesus, a priest celebrating Mass and Our Lady of Fatima (right side).
Above the pulpit is inscribed the name S. Augustine, above it is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The sacristy resembles a small museum, housing numerous statues of various saints.
THE ALTARS
The main altar is dedicated to the patroness, Our Lady of Remedios, who is depicted holding the Child Jesus. Above her are doves representing the Holy Spirit. Below the statue of Our Lady, on the right, is the statue of St Sebastian, and to the left, that of St John the Baptist.
On the altar to the left, at the top, is the image of St. Peter; below it is the image of Our Lady of Sorrows. To the right, above, is the image of St Paul, and below it that of St Anthony. The altar dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located on the left side of the wall.
