CHRONICLES OF GOAN CHURCHES
The Church at Bambolim is dedicated to Our Lady of Bethlehem and parishioners celebrate the feast on the second Sunday of January, which this year falls on January 12.
THE HISTORY
Bambolim was earlier a part of Siridao village and the church there was dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, which was administered by the Dominican clergy. The church was quite a distance from the Bambolim village and the Catholics found it difficult to fulfil their spiritual needs.
The Augustinian bishop, Dom Frei Aleixio de Menezes in 1610, decided to construct a church in the village but he was transferred the same year to Braga (Portugal) as Archbishop.
The church authorities then gave the responsibility of constructing a church here to the local priests, which was not taken well by the Dominicans, who had established the Siridao parish and it was they, not the Archbishop or the Comunidade, who were administering it. It was also decided to have spiritual ministries conducted in a Mattov, if the church was not constructed in the village,
The new church was constructed on a hill, now known as Orte de Vigar or Padigaracho Dongor only in 1616, which was financed by Gonsalo Pinto da Fonseca, a Portuguese fidalgo; it was dedicated to Our Lady of Bethlehem.
Archbishop Dom Frei Cristovao de Sa e Lisboa (1613-1622) raised it to a parish church in 1619. Before the church completed two-and-half centuries, it was decided, by the order of September 4, 1851, to pull it down, since they found a tunnel under it which posed danger to it and also to the lives of the parishioners.
The parishioners then were brought under the Curca church, which was run by the Dominican clergy. The parish priest, Fr Jeronimo Elias Nazare was transferred to Uccassaim. The Comunidade de Bambolim then built a chapel at another spot; the construction was financed by the earlier parish Congrua. The same was raised to the status of a Church on January 1, 1852 and it was consecrated to Our Lady of Bethlehem. A new parochial residence was constructed in 1876.
THE DEVELOPMENTS
In 1952, the church was extended in front and its cost was borne by Marcos Vicente Gonsalves; its foundation stone was blessed by Fr Arsenio Apolinario M da Cunha on September 6, 1952. On the completion of its centenary, a plaque was inserted on the left wall of the church, which was blessed by the Archbishop Dom Jose Vieria Alvernaz. In 1991, the parish priest, Fr Freddy da Costa painted the entire church and so too the parochial house.
Not too far from the Church is the shrine of miraculous Fulancho Khuris, which has its origin down the centuries. Devotees of all faith come to pray here, seeking favours, either for themselves or for others, and return back to thank God for the favours received.
THE ALTARS
The church has 3 altars; the middle altar is dedicated to the patroness, Our Lady of Bethlehem, to its right is the image of St Dominic and to the left that of St Jeronimo and below it are images of St Francis Xavier and of Saint Anne. The altar to the right is dedicated to the Crucified Jesus, below it is the image of St Joseph and the Sacred Heart of Mary. The altar to the left is dedicated to St Anthony and St Tereza.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.)
