The Holy Spirit Church, Margao

Name:Milchrist Mascarenhas 

Rollno:c18-3439

Std/div:FYBCOM D

 Holy Spirit Church, Margao, Goa is called ‘Espirito Santo Igreja em Margao, Goa’ in Portuguese. The Holy Spirit Church, Margao, Goa is also popularly called ‘The Margao Church’ locally in Goa. The first Holy Spirit Church in Margao was founded by the Jesuits in 1564. This church was however destroyed in a fire in 1571. The second Holy Spirit Church, Margao was built in 1571, also got destroyed eight years later and the third also was short lived. The fourth Holy Spirit Church, Margao church was built a little further away in 1589. It was the declared scared in 1595, enlarged in 1604 and lasted till 1645. The present Holy Spirit Church, the fifth one was built in 1675. According to some goans Holy Spirit Church, Margao is the largest and the most beautiful church in Salcete.

The Holy spirt Church was build under the ruins of the damodar temple which was then destroyed by the Portuguese. The idols and the gold were taken by the Hindus. There is also a educational institution that is connected to the church called the Holy spirit institute. The Religious orders based in the Parish of Holy Spirit Church, Margao,  are The religious Men order of Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier and the Religious Women orders based in the parish of Holy Spirit Church are Apostolic Cartmel. There are also Social Welfare activities in the oHoly Spirit Church that is the Clergy Home for the aged Priests, Margao. The Media sale centre Light house is also present in the parish of Holy Spirit Church. Also present in the Parish of Holy Spirit Church is the St John Paul II Complex where religious activities of the parish are held.The number of Catholics in the parish of Holy Spirit Church are about 17000.

The Feast of Holy Spirit Church is celebrated 50 days after Easter between end of May or the first week of June every year.The event is accompanied by outdoor festivities for an entire week. This is a time for Goans to congregate at this magnificent edifice and to shop in Margao for spices and dry fish before the onset of monsoon.The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is also celebrated on December 8th at the Holy Spirit Church. The Holy Spirit Church  publishes a parish bulletin called Voices which is distributed every month to its parishioners.

There are numbers of chapels that are chaplains in the parish of the holy spirit Church that are Our Lady of Piety Chapel, Monte Hill, Margao.
St. Joaquim Chapel, Borda, Margao.
Our Lady of Carmel Chapel, Mungul, Margao. And,
The Chapel without a resident chaplain is Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, Ambajim, Margao.
There are also many tourist visiting this church as it gain central attention because of its unique structure and history. The church has a daily mass service in Konkani and one in English on Sunday mornings at 9 AM.