CHRONICLES OF GOAN CHURCHES
The Church at Penha de Franca along the Mandovi River is dedicated to Our Lady of Penha de Franca and parishioners celebrate the feast on December 27 every year.
THE ORIGIN
Dona Anna de Azavedo, the widow of Christovao de Souza, who later became a member of the 3rd Order of the Franciscans, founded the church in 1626. Before her death, she made a will donating it to the Franciscans along with the property adjacent to it. This is given in her death will dated December 14, 1629, which was registered with the notary on December 17, 1629. The parish priest, Frei Afonco do Nascimento was a witness to it.
Due to the vicinity of church to the river and the continuous beating of water on it during high tide, the church building came down within 26 years. Frei Manuel do Lado, the Provincial of the Franciscan order, constructed the new and a bigger present church in 1655, with the boundary wall protection on the river side and also steps leading to the river.
He was made the parish priest of the church on August 29, 1666 and remained so for 15 years. He brought two statues of Our Lady of Penha de Franca from abroad, one with Our Lady sitting on a rock, which was installed at the altar, and the other small one for veneration.
After the suppression of the religious orders, they were told to leave the place in 1776, but remained there for another 3 years and then the diocese took over the parish.
In 1998, during the tenure of Fr Adolfo Viegas, repairs of the church roof and sacristy were undertaken with the help of Fundacao Oriente. From 2004, the Pilar Society priests have been taking care of the parish. The church was fully renovated and blessed on December 14, 2016, by Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao,
THE CHURCH
The main façade of the church follows the traditional Franciscan model; it has a large narthex at the base, opened by three arches and a staircase in two sections which descend to the river bank. Alongside the arches on the walls are 4 letters ‘N. S. P. F.’ inscribed. The church has polygonal towers, a single nave, without any side chapels, a false transept and a high choir supported by a galilee.
On the right side of the altar is the grave of Dona Anna and on it are inscribed these words in Portuguese, which when translated in English read thus: From Dona Anna de Azavedo, of this Church and of this Confr, of N.S. de Franca died in the year 1629.
It has a big grotto on the side of the church of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was blessed on February 11, 1932.
THE ALTARS
The main altar is dedicated to the patron, Our Lady of Penha de Franca, who is depicted as standing on a rock. Above it is a picture of the Holy Trinity placing a crown on her. The other altars are dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Francis Xavier and Sacred Heart of Jesus.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.)
