PilgrimstaysAlthough Goa has so many churches , each more beautiful than the next, the Mae de Deus Church at Saligao has extraordinary written all over it. With striking exteriors matched by equally if not more magnificent interiors, this is a church that will take your breath away. Set amidst picturesque surroundings of the Goan countryside, the Mae de Deus is a church where the Neo Gothic style has been experimented with to the hilt, with absolutely stunning results to show for it. Formerly a part of the neighbouring Nagoa parish, Saligao was spun off into a separate parish with the foundation stone for the new church laid on 7th February 1867. It was built with stones said to have been sourced from three different sites. The first lot of black stones were recycled from the ruins of the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, another batch from the nearby Chapel of Our Lady of Victory which was in a state of disrepair. The rest were procured from a nearby quarry. With its signature buttresses, supporting the outer walls and capped with a series of tapering spires towering all around the main structure, the Mae de Deus Church stands out in the lush green landscape, for its sheer breathtaking beauty. The church was blessed and consecrated on November 26 1873. Inside the church, it is the altar that will grab your attention for the opulence of its glittering reredos, meticulously carved and gilded to perfection. In addition to the main altar, there are six other altars as is typical with most Portuguese churches. The miraculous statue of Mai de Deus, painted in gold was originally housed in the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, Old Goa. It was transported to the church by boat and bullock cart to the accompaniment of a ceremonial band and installed in the church amidst cheers. Today it is placed prominently on one of the side altars. The statue is greatly treasured by the faithful of Saligao, as prayers for favours never go unanswered. The church has since been declared a heritage structure. Illumination of the church is now funded by Goa Tourism. One cannot miss this church while driving past, as it majestically brightens the night sky with its tasteful and well designed illumination.
It was built with stones said to have been sourced from three different sites
The first lot of black stones were recycled from the ruins of the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, another batch from the nearby Chapel of Our Lady of Victory which was in a state of disrepair
The church was blessed and consecrated on November 26 1873
The miraculous statue of Mai de Deus, painted in gold was originally housed in the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, Old Goa
The statue is greatly treasured by the faithful of Saligao, as prayers for favours never go unanswered
The Neo-Gothic facade of Mae de Deus Church — with its pointed arches, buttresses, and central spire — is visible from the village lanes and is immediately distinguishable from the Baroque norm of Goan Catholic churches. The facade has a delicate, vertical quality that gives the church an aspiring, upward movement distinctive in the horizontal Goan landscape.
The interior continues the Gothic theme with pointed arches and ribbed details, and contains a carved altar with the image of Mae de Deus. The interior is maintained by the active village parish and has the cared-for quality of a community that worships here regularly.
Saligao village — with its traditional Catholic village structure of church at the centre, Indo-Portuguese houses, narrow lanes, and chapels at crossroads — is one of the most authentic experiences of traditional Goan Catholic village life. Walking the lanes of Saligao before or after Mass is a walk through a living expression of 450 years of Goan Christianity.
The parish feast at Mae de Deus Church is a community event that includes the traditional Goan elements: Mass, procession with the statue of Our Lady, brass band music, and the feast meals shared between families. The Goan Catholic feast tradition — combining intense religious devotion with equally intense communal celebration — is one of the most distinctive expressions of Indian Catholicism.
Mae de Deus Saligao is one of dozens of village churches in North Goa that constitute the living heritage of Goan Catholicism. Together they form a landscape of faith — every few kilometres another white church tower above the coconut palms, each one the centre of a Catholic community with 400-500 years of continuous parish life.
There are approximately 360 Catholic churches in Goa — one for every 4,000 Catholics, one of the highest church-to-population ratios in Asia. Each one is the centre of a community. Each one has a feast day, a patron, a parish council, a school, a graveyard. Each one is the focus of an entire community's life from baptism to burial. The Mae de Deus Church at Saligao is one of 360. It is also someone's entire world — the church of their childhood, their marriage, their parents' burial. That is what a village church is.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →Although Goa has so many churches, each more beautiful than the next, the Mae de Deus Church at Saligao has extraordinary written all over it. With striking exteriors matched by equally if not more magnificent interiors, this is a church that will take your breath away. Set amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Goan countryside, the Mae de Deus is a church where the Neo-Gothic style has been experimented with to the hilt, with absolutely stunning results to show for it.
Formerly a part of the neighbouring Nagoa parish, Saligao was spun off into a separate parish with the foundation stone for the new church laid on 7 February 1867. It was built with stones said to have been sourced from three different sites. The first lot of black stones were recycled from the ruins of the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim; another batch came from the nearby Chapel of Our Lady of Victory, which was in a state of disrepair. The rest were procured from a nearby quarry.
With its signature buttresses supporting the outer walls and capped with a series of tapering spires towering all around the main structure, the Mae de Deus Church stands out in the lush green landscape for its sheer breathtaking beauty. The church was blessed and consecrated on 26 November 1873. Inside the church, it is the altar that will grab your attention for the opulence of its glittering reredos, meticulously carved and gilded to perfection. In addition to the main altar, there are six other altars, as is typical with most Portuguese churches.
The miraculous statue of Mai de Deus, painted in gold, was originally housed in the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, Old Goa. It was transported to the church by boat and bullock cart to the accompaniment of a ceremonial band and installed in the church amidst cheers. Today it is placed prominently on one of the side altars. The statue is greatly treasured by the faithful of Saligao, as prayers for favours never go unanswered.
The church has since been declared a heritage structure. Illumination of the church is now funded by Goa Tourism. One cannot miss this church while driving past, as it majestically brightens the night sky with its tasteful and well-designed illumination.
