Team Herald
PANJIM: The Church of St Jerome at Mapusa began its celebration of 425 years of its foundation on Thursday.
“To commemorate the 425 years of the Church, a Solemn Mass was celebrated by Most Rev Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman at 5 pm,” Fr Dennis Fernandes, the Parish Priest of St Jerome Church, told Herald.
Popularly known as the Church of Our Lady of Miracles, it was founded in 1594 by the then Guardian of Bardez, Frei Jeronimo do Espirito Santo, a Portuguese religious of the Franciscan Order.
Although the feast of St Jerome, the Patron of the Church, is celebrated on September 30, it is the feast of Our Lady of Miracles which draws people of all religions. More known as Mauxe Milagre, the feast is celebrated on Monday after the third Sunday of Easter.
According to Ms Maria Imelda Souza, the Church was built partly by the Gaunkars of three Comunidades – Mapusa, Corlim and Cunchelim and donations collected by Frei Jeronimo from different sources. As the parishioners increased over the years, the Church was rebuilt in 1674 with support from the three Comunidades.
On the night of April 27, 1838, a tragedy struck the Church. On the Vespers of the Feast of Our Lady of Miracles a candle was carelessly left burning on the main altar and the Church caught fire and was partially destroyed. All the feast Masses were celebrated in the Cemetery Chapel, built the previous year.
It is pertinent to note that the memorist Luis de Souza, who was serving as a sacristan for 40 years, tried his best to salvage some documents and valuable items from the flames. However, Luis suffered burn injuries and was ill for five long years. Considering his services, the Confraria granted him a monthly pension of six ‘Xerafins’.
From 1918 to 1931 the altars were gold painted, new tiles were fixed to the pulpit and the false ceiling. In December 1961 almost the entire of the roof of the Church was damaged but was soon repaired under the Parish Priest, Fr Antonio das Merces Mello.
From 1900 to 1994, the Church complex was built, the cemetery was extended to double its size and a wall built around it. A structure was built in the Church compound for the religious purpose of conducting religious ceremonies, to accommodate the big crowd of faithful and officers.
A moderate residence for priests, a meeting hall and offices were added to the Church between 2001 and 2008.
The Mapusa Church as it stands has three doors. The main altar has the statue of Our Lady of Miracles at the centre and the statues of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary on either side of the altar.
The patron saint, St Jerome, adorns the right-side altar flanked by the statues of St. Sebastian and St Joseph. The left-side altar has the statue of St John the Baptist and Saints Peter and Paul.
Parish Priest Fr Dennis Fernandes said that they will have many other faith programmes and cultural events during the course of this Jubilee Year.
