Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa
History:
The Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa is called ‘Nossa Senhora do Neves Igreja em Rachol, Goa’ in Portuguese. Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa is also popularly called ‘The Rachol Church’ locally in Goa. The fort of Rachol was gifted to the Portuguese, in 1520, by King Krishnadeva of Vijayanagar, in gratitude for the former’s alliance with him against Adil Shah of Bijapur. By 1521, a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist was built in the fort of Rachol, with a garrison Chaplain, who was probably a Dominican. The first Our Lady of Snows church Rachol, came up in 1556, built in mud, with a thatched roof. It was the first church in Salcete. It can thus be called the mother church (Matriz) of the whole of South Goa. The Jesuits built another church, in stone in the year 1576. Although Rachol was at the time, part of the village of Raia, the parish was always known as Rachol, perhaps because the first nucleus of converts was concentrated in the Rachol fort area, where the church is situated. The present church building was constructed in 1596. A statue of Christ (Senhor Morto) is venerated in this church with special devotion . In the parish of Rachol, there exists another large church , dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the old Jesuit college, now the diocesan Patriarchal seminary. At the time of its construction in 1610, it was dedicated to All Saints, however after the canonization of Ignatius in 1622, the Jesuits re dedicated the church to their founder. The present church was built soon after 1622.
The Chapel with a Chaplain located in the Rachol Church parish is The Our Lady of Gloria Chapel, Ilha de Rachol, Rachol, Goa.
The Educational Institutions in the Rachol Parish are The Our Lady of Gloria Primary School, Rachol, Goa and the Patriarchal Seminary which is a Diocesan Major Seminary.
The Number of Catholics in the Parish of Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa are around 3,500.
The Feast of Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa is celebrated on the Sunday after the 5th of August every year. However the main feast is celebrated on 1st January every year, this day is dedicated to Bom Jesus.
The Address of the Rachol Church is Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, Goa. 403719.