CHRONICLES OF GOAN CHURCHES
The Church at Dramapur in South Goa is dedicated to St Joseph and parishioners celebrate the feast on the second Sunday of October; this year it will be on October 12.
THE HISTORY
The first chapel at Dramapur was sanctioned under a Provisão dated November 3, 1848 by Archbishop D José Maria da Silva Torres and to be dedicated to St Joseph. The Communidade of Dramapur undertook the construction with its own funds.
Situated about 3.5 kms from Chinchinim, it came under that parish’s jurisdiction. Six years later, the front portion of the chapel was enlarged. Initially, priests from Chinchinim celebrated Mass at the chapel on Sundays.
Fr Benedito Temudo of Navelim was appointed the first resident chaplain on August 10, 1912. During the tenure of Fr Mariano Romualdo Gomes as chaplain, significant structural improvements were carried out, possibly in preparation for the chapel’s elevation to a church. Around this time, Gen. Vassalo da Silva, the last Governor-General of Portuguese India, visited Dramapur and, noticing the decrepit state of the chapel and the residence, granted a subsidy of Rs 8,000 towards their renovation. The Communidade supplemented this with Rs 5,000, enabling a complete facelift of both buildings.
Around 1950, Caetano Monteiro and his wife Tometina donated a Gothic-style wooden altar dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, which was installed on the west side of the nave.
Owing to the distance from Chinchinim and the repeated requests of the parishioners residing in Dramapur, the chapel was elevated to the status of a Church by a Provisão dated March 9, 1957, issued by Patriarch D. José Vieira Alvernaz. It was officially inaugurated on March 20, the same year and dedicated to St Joseph.
A house for the parish priest was also built and Fr Mariano Romualdo Gomes, the then chaplain, became the first parish priest. On March 7, 1970, Juanita Furtado, originally from Dramapur but residing in Bombay, donated the cost of electrifying the shrine and the parish house.
During Fr José de Souza’s tenure as parish priest, the Community Hall was blessed by Archbishop-Patriarch Raul Gonsalves in 1991.
Fr Geraldo Aleixo Antonio da Costa was appointed parish priest on May 1, 1997. He undertook major renovations with parishioners’ financial support. The project, costing Rs 35 lakh, included renovating the existing church, extending an additional wing that included priests’ quarters, parlour, office, meeting hall, and six catechism rooms. The list of donors have been kept on record.
The compound wall of the church also features the 14 Stations of the Cross. On the cemetery wall is inscribed: Este Adro Foi Construído Às Expensas de Luís Manuel Furtado em 1906 — “This courtyard was built at the expense of Luís Manuel Furtado in 1906.”
THE CHURCH
The church is a fine example of Portuguese architecture from the mid-16th-century transition period. It features a long, single rectangular nave covered by a tiled roof, with a vaulted chancel area. On the western side stands a tower over the narthex, topped by a cross and a bell below it.
THE ALTARS
The main altar, gleaming in white and gold carved wood, is in the Indo-Portuguese Baroque style with Manueline columns. It is dedicated to St Joseph and has the image of St Anne above it. To the right is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, donated by L M Furtado, and to the left, that of Our Lady of Piety. The right-side altar holds the image of St Sebastian, with the image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception above it. The left altar has the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with the statue of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus on top, This was stolen; later it was replaced by the image of Theresa of Child Jesus.
