PANAJI: A 318-year-old church with Neo-Roman-Mannerist architecture, standing as the only heritage structure in the still- verdant village of Nuvem, has been plunged into a bitter row over an alleged proposal for its demolition for a bigger church. Hardly to be missed on the drive along National Highway 17 with its gleaming white facade, the original private family chapel of 1695 dedicated to Jesus, Mary and Joseph has served as a parish church after its elevation in 1903. Wedged between the River Sal flowing behind it in the west and the hill range in the east, the hoary edifice is respected by many as the only piece of built heritage they can cling to. The plan to accommodate the needs of a 14,000-strong parish has stirred up demands for protection of the historic landmark. The village landscape otherwise looks bare of any architectural assets. The controversy appears to have erupted after the architects submitted a plan for the construction of a new church to parish priest, Fr Victor Rodrigues and the church committee just over two months back. Expanding the church by adding the porch in the front and side wings in the 1960s and 1970s has proved inadequate over the years. "The need for a separate church to accommodate around 1,200 parishioners at a time is felt because of a growing parish," Rodrigues said. The three Sunday masses at the church are heavily attended, though services are also held at Anus, Pateapur, Dongorim, Guirim and Murda Pequeno chapels. "At the catechism mass for children at 9am, we have more than 1,200 children, as well as their parents, mostly standing around during the service," he said. In addition, two masses in the church and at one of the chapels are held on Saturdays. But parishioners feel that the church, though it can accommodate barely 500 parishioners with its extensions, should be protected at all costs. "The church authorities have been negligent in allowing the structure to deteriorate and spoiling its aesthetics by extending it," a parishioner said. Agreed Prajal Sakhardande, president of Goa heritage action group (GHAG), "First and foremost, the Nuvem church is a heritage structure. By demolishing it, the history of the village will be obliterated." The heritage group also wrote to archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, who assured that he would look into the matter. But the parish priest denied that a demolition was proposed at any stage. "In fact, it would be against the will made by the Colaco family, who built the chapel, to conserve it," Rodrigues said. Architect Tulio de Sousa has drawn up the plan for a new church in the large open plot on the southern side. "We have told the parish priest that the church is a beautiful structure, architecturally sensitive and with a lot of history, and we will not only retain it but also restore it," he said. A few parishioners had suggested the expansion of the existing church, by retaining the key features. "But, we realized after an exercise that retaining the facade and only expanding the church sideways would neither retain the old character of the church nor help accommodate the desired number of parishioners," he explained. The plan drawn in association with conservation architect, Ketak Nachinolkar was circulated to the parishioners for their views and suggestions. "Nothing has been finalized as yet, but after the new one is built, surely the old church will be kept open for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament," Rodrigues said. The villagers have demanded more transparency in discussing the proposal. "More parishioners need to be taken on board as this was not done earlier," a resident said.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 03:31:15 +0000