Follow Me

by Fr. Nascimento J. Mascarenhas, Valmiki Faleiro (Editor)

Detailed description and a study about the parish priests of the parishes of Salcete and Mormugao in Goa, a former Portuguese colony and now the country's smallest State on the west coast of India. Salcete was assigned to the Jesuits for evangelization in 1554 or 1555. In the first years, they could do very little in that territory, since they were busy with the Christinization of Tiswadi in Goa. It was in 1560 that two Jesuits went to reside permanently in Salcete.... they decided to send two of their number to take up residence at Rachol, where the captain of Salcete had his headquarters. Rachol itself completes its 400th year of its founding th is year. 'Follow Me Volume 3' focuses on the seminary "then and now". A chapter is dedicated to this institution. Some photographs take us back to the old classrooms of the seminary, and its library hall. In those times, religion and State were close, as politics and religion is now getting to be. See this "The fortress of Rachol was the main bastion of defence of Salcete. It was well-guarded. It was abundantly provided with water and other facilities for the people residing there. Yet, it was frequently attacked and raided by the Muslims and the Marathas..." The story of Rachol continues to current times, with 'Follow Me' listing its rectors from 1619 to current times, ending with Fr Denis Fernandes from Parra, whose tenure began in 2005. One interesting aspect of the book is the photographs which compare the churches of the past with those of the present. It's tempting, for instance, to compare the Church of Sancoale then, with the one that exists now. (This church was built in 1606, caught fire in 1834, and its frontispiece still stands. It was declared a national monument by the Portuguese government in 1937.) All the churches in the two sub-districts are covered -- from A to V (Aquem to Veroda), if you like. Churches of Mormugao are covered too, since this taluka was part of Salcete till not long back.

448 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2010