Church of St. Anne, Talaulim
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The Church of St. Anne in Goa, India, perhaps more than any other religious monument East of Rome, showcases the stunning intricacy of baroque architecture.
Majestically nestled in the verdant hills of Santana, Talaulim, the Church of Anne was declared a "national monument" during the Portuguese era per Government Portario No. 1360 of 31/3/31. In that Portario – studded like priceless diamonds – were also the Bom Jesus Basilica, the Se Cathedral, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Convent of Santa Monica and the Church of St. Cajetan. Each of these are monumental in their architectural splendor, and all of them are huddled in the former Portuguese capital of Old Goa, Goa.
Upon Goa’s annexation by India, while the aforementioned edifices were embraced as "national monuments" by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the church of St. Anne was singularly overlooked and remains forsaken to this day to the ravages of time and human neglect, despite it being the largest surviving monument of its kind in all of Asia. If the church of St Anne stands to this day, it is thanks in no small measure to the vision and resilience of Dom Martin, who was instrumental in 1974 in getting the necessary funds to replace the deteriorated roof which had already inflicted irreversible damage to the vault, and threatened it with collapse if repairs were not swiftly undertaken and accelerated.[1]
Founded in the year 1577, the Church of St. Anne was reconstructed by its Vicar, Monsignor Francisco de Rego (1681-1689) and completed by its successor, Rev. Fr. Antonio Francisco da Cunha in 1695.
Legend has it that while construction was in progress, an elderly villager by the name of Bartholomeu Marchon, had a vision of an old lady donning a hat with a staff in hand. The old lady ambled down the neighboring hill and promulgated to Bartholomeu that the Church under construction was her home, and that it was her intent to reside there. A similar apparition was also encountered by a Brahmin lady of high social standing, who happened to be gravely ill and almost in death’s clutch. The celestial apparition anointed the lady with a miraculous cure, and as a token of supreme gratitude, she embraced Christianity. Word of her miraculous cure percolated down to the village priest who instantly interpreted it as a sign of divine intervention. Without further ado, he consecrated the church in honor of St. Anne.
High up in the transept facing the sanctuary, one can see a relief picture depicting the scene of St. Anne with a staff in hand and wearing a hat as seen in the apparitions.
Reconversion of Gaudas to Hinduism
The Gaudas who were nominally Christians but held on to their basic Hindu beliefs opted to reconvert to Hinduism when they were denied marriage rites for younger people by the Christian Church.They now stay close to the Santa Ana church but practice Hinduism.Their last name 'Fernanded' was given up and they have taken the Hindu Last names of Vernekar.The older generation continue to have christian first names while the younger generation are given typically Hindu names.
Christianity is India's third-largest religion, following Hinduism and Islam. It is believed that there have been Christians in India almost for as long as the religion has existed. Christianity underwent major transformation following European contact and British colonisation, because of laws instated that limited the rights of non-Christians. The 2001 census recorded over 24 million (2.4 crore) Indian Christians, comprising 2.3% of the country's population. There are two main regional concentrations of Christian population, namely in South India and among tribal people in East and North-East India.Christianity in india
World Heritage Monuments
The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies – particularly the Bom Jesus Basilica, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia. These monuments were influential in spreading forms of Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art in all the countries of Asia where missions were established.[2]