Beautiful Mae De Deus Church, Goa - a legacy of Portuguese rule here

Mae De Deus Church, Saligao, Goa Alamy

Mae De Deus Church, Saligao, Goa  TripAdvisor

Among the Indian states, the small coastal state of Goa. West India  was once a Portuguese colony that existed here till 1960s. Hence it has numerous inspiring and impressive churches whose amazing architecture may baffle our imagination. These churches, steeped in colonial history, are located in serene environment close to the sea and are being visited by lots of tourists.

The Mae De Deus (Mother Of God) Church in Saligao, Bardez, Goa is one of the finest churches in India whose foundation was laid on 7 February  1867, but was inaugurated on 26th November 1873. Located at Daujim, Barduz taluka a tiny suburb of Old Goa in the 16th century, of which today only the tallest cross on a pedestal is seen among shrubs and coconut groves, one  Salvador Pinto a resident of Saligao, took the initiative to have a separate church built along with a separate parish. Before the construction of this church, the Saligao Catholics were part of the parish church of the Holy Trinity at the neighboring village of Nagoa. It is said that stones from three different sites went into construction - two of them religious institutions. The black stones came from the ruins of the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, the second  came from the Chapel of Our Lady of Victory, which was in a dilapidated condition, while the rest was built with stones from a nearby quarry.

Mae De Deus Church, Saligao, Goa flickr.com

Mae De Deus Church, Saligao, Goa Justdial

This beautiful church built in  Gothic style with elegant tapering spires each with a Cross  and pristine white wall is reminiscent of fairy-tale castle. The portal of the church  is a tall one dome-shaped. A dome-shaped facade with tapering spire is an unusual sight. It is a good example of Neo-Gothic architecture of grandeur and beauty confirmed by  pointed arch, with buttresses supporting its exteriors, belfry, and spikes all so built to bring out the nuances of  Gothic architecture. In the whole of Goa, no other structure has this kind of majestic appearance that is quite inspiring. 

Mae De Deus Church, Saligao, Goa TripAdvisor

The church houses the miraculous  wooden statue of Mae De Deus painted in golden color and was  originally from the Mae De Deus Church of Daujim-Old Goa. The statue arrived here ceremoniously  in a decorated boat across the Mandovi River to Betim.  The courtyard of the Church contains another statue of the Mae de Deus, this one made of black stone. This church and the neighboring one were disputing over the statue as to where it should be kept. The delicate, but subtle issue was finally settled amicably by the Government Order passed on the 20th of June, 1865 which was approved by the King of Portugal.

Saligoa. FeedYeti.com

Saligoa. /richmondepark.com

In addition to main altar, there are six sub altars in this church, the latter are dedicated to different saints. The altar, which is carved and gilded is backed by a reredos, which is nicely carved and gilded and tapers gracefully toward the ceiling. It is worthy to mention that the altar of Christ, the Redeemer holds the Blessed Sacrament which was consecrated by the Patriach Dom Antonio Valente during his pastoral visit in 1883. hence, this church is steeped in history. 

The first Sunday of May is celebrated as the church feast, the feast of Our Lady, the Mother of God; it is  preceded by a nine day novena, the celebrations and Masses on each day being organized by a different ward of Saligao.
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