Our Lady of Rosary church, Navelim

Name:Franoy Gomes

Roll NO:C18-3525

Navelim’s church was first built by the Jesuits in the 1590s; the present, Portuguese-style whitewashed structure was constructed later on when the older building became too small. The reconstruction was apparently financed by a local merchant “Barreto” who was saved from bankruptcy through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary. The first parish priest of Navelim Church was a French Jesuit Fr. John Sena.

As time passed, the church became small for the growing population. Later on, it was reconstructed with laterite stones on a larger scale by a rich Goan merchant, whose name is not given.

This merchant, according to legend, while passing through the main road running in front of the above church, received the message that he would lose a substantial amount of money in his business. As soon as he received this message, he entered the church and started praying to Our Lady of Rosary, requesting her to relieve him from this catastrophe. If his prayers were answered, he promised to reconstruct the original church, on a larger scale. In the event he not only recovered what he had lost, but realised double the amount. He then financed the entire reconstruction of the church and also renewed the statue of our Lady of Rosary.

Navelim is one of the largest villages in Goa. Some of the names of Navelim wards are: Aquem, Belem, Buttica, Coldem, Colmoroda, Danddo, Dialgona, Dongorim, Firgulem, Fradilem, Mandopa, Modi, Ratvaddo, Rawanfond, Sinquetim, Sirvodem, Telaulim.

Our Lady of Rosary Church has 2 towers. The originally built northern tower holds the bell of the church while the other matching tower was built in the 80’s by the then vicar of the church Fr. Robert Vaz.

Our Lady of Rosary Feast in Navelim is celebrated on the 3rd Wednesday of November. Elsewhere in the world, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7.

The devotion of Our Lady comprises an extensive celebration which traditionally begins with a procession from Telaulim Church followed by 9 days of novenas.

The church is believed to have been built on the ruins of a Hindu temple, and as a result it was attacked on two occasions in 1717 and1739 by Maratha ruler Vyakatra Ghorpade.

Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, the church was known as ‘Igreja De Nossa Senhora Do Rosario’, in Portuguese. Today it is the most populated parish in the Archdiocese of Goa.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Navelim, Goa is celebrated on the third Wednesday of November every year.

AT YOUR SERVICE

Fr. George Nobert Aguiar- Parish Priest
Fr. Americo Rodrigues- Asst. Parish Priest
Fr. Costancio Carvalho- Asst. Parish Priest
Fr. Myron Jeson Barreto –Asst. Parish Priest
Fr. Aquileo Gomes