Goa loses a historic landmark

A historic landmark in the form of a cross and an altar, marking the site where India’s first indigenous congregation of Catholic priests, and perhaps Asia’s first too, has disappeared following a landslide triggered by quarrying. The pedestal on which the cross stood as well as the altar existed till recently. “The two small structures came down during excavations and may have been lost in the debris,” a villager said. The cross, however, was salvaged. “The cross was recently removed and fixed at the foot of the hill,” a young woman living in house close to the site said. “This spot has historic and sentimental value as it was the place where the first Goan congregation was started on October 20, 1682,” said Fr Cosme Jose Costa, a Pilar-based historian. “The cross facing east was close to the chapel, the first monastery of the Oratorians,” Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas, a historian said. Overlooking the Pilar hill and affording a glimpse of River Zuari, the southern face of Batim hill with a lake at its foot, caved in after years of mud being scooped out for construction and other activities. “The excavations contractor had permissions from the government authorities,” Francisco D’Souza, sarpanch, Batim panchayat said. “We allowed the shifting of the cross on the condition that it be reconstructed at another site.” However, Cruzinho Pereira, panch of Batim panchayat said he was not aware of when the panchayat permitted activity on Batim hill. “I am not aware when the clearance (NOC) was issued by the panchayat as it did not figure at any meeting,” Pereira said. The site, however, did not disappear overnight. On getting news of excavations on the already destabilised hill slope, the parish priest and parishioners of Batim submitted a representation to the Archbishop, stressing the need to preserve the cross. “An inspection was carried out by officials from the bishop’s palace,” Fr Michael A Fernandes, parish priest, Our Lady of Guadalupe church, Batim, said. Admitting that an inspection had been carried out, Fr Nelson Sequeira, convenor of the Diocesan Commission of Sacred Art and Heritage, said, “As the cross was in private property, we left the decision of its shifting to the parish priest and parishioners. It was an internal parish matter and we had orally communicated it to the parish priest.” However, the parish priest maintains that no decision or communication was received by him.