Structured across seven chapters, this book examines the development of Christianity in Salcete (Goa), with particular emphasis on the first five parish churches of the region. It engages with a range of themes, including the relationships among religious Orders, processes of church construction, patterns of conversion, internal challenges within the Christian community and the economic functioning of ecclesiastical institutions.
Braganza situates her analysis within the broader framework of cultural formation in the Goan Church, with a focus on ecclesiastical art and architecture in the Salcete region. The concluding chapter extends the discussion to consider the relationship between the Church and wider Goan society. Commenting on the work, Dr Denis Vaz observes that “her writing neither succumbs to romanticism nor yields to cynicism” and book offers valuable insights for contemporary readers.
Rita Braganza, PhD, is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of History at Rosary College of Commerce and Arts, Navelim, consistently ranked among the leading colleges in Goa. Her early scholarly work, the research paper “The Franciscans in Goa—with special reference to the Capuchins”, was awarded the Dr. B.S. Shastry Memorial Prize for the best debutante paper at the Local History Seminary (Feb 1995). Her doctoral thesis, on the topic “Goa-Karnataka Relations, 1763–1857: A Political and Economic Study”, earned her an ICHR study grant. Braganza’s work has also been published in Indica, the journal of the Heras Institute, Mumbai. Besides her research contributions, she has served on the Board of Studies at Goa University and as Chairperson of the Board of Examiners in History. She has also played an active role in student engagement, serving as Convener of the Women’s Cell and the Heritage Cell, and as an NSS Programme Officer.
Contents
Foreword 7
Preface 11
Glossary 15
Introduction 25
Going Back in Time. Historical Origins
Christianity in India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Religious Orders in Goa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
The Diocese of Goa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
St. Francis Xavier–Patron of Missionaries 39
Francis in Goa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
The College of St. Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Evangelisation in the Vernacular Languages . . . . . . .49
Christianity and the Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
The First Five Parish Churches of Salcete 54
Padroado Real and Propaganda Fide . . . . . . . . . . .54
Relations among the Religious Orders . . . . . . . . . .56
Church building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Challenges in Christianity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Income And Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
The Goan Church and Cultural Formation 101
Expansion of Christianity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Village Communities in Goa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Provincial Councils and Christian Faith . . . . . . . . . 125
The Konkani Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Culture Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Parish Churches and Social Identity 147
Loutulim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Benaulim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Chinchinim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Colva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Utorda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Orlim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ecclesiastical Art and Architecture 196
Indo-Portuguese Art and Architecture . . . . . . . . . . 196
The Significance of Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Indian iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Church Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Indian Craftsmen and Artisans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Holy Spirit Church, Margao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Icons of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Traditional Church Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Contemporary Church Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
The Church and Goan Society 238
The Church in the Eighteenth Century . . . . . . . . . . 239
Goan Oratorians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
The Hindu-Christian Social Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Portuguese Influence on Konkani Language . . . . . . . 245
Goan Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Goan Folklore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Popular Devotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
The Social Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
The Devotion to Mother Goddess/ Mother Mary . . . . 257
Concluding Remarks 261
Bibliography 266
