Milagres Church Mangalore
Famously called the Church of Our Lady of Miracles, Milagres Church is historic one as a Roman Catholic Church located in Mangalore’s Hampankatta region. The then Bishop Thomas de Castro from Divar, Goa arrived here in 1680 to build this church. The present day cemetery had its original structure. It remains Dakshina Kannada’s one of the oldest churches today.
History
The Theatine Priest of Salsette, Bishop Thomas De Castro built the Milagres Church, Mangalore in 1680. The church was founded at the area which is converted into a cemetery nowadays.
It is notable that 16th century remains important phase in the history of Christianity especially due to large scale conversions to this religion and at the same juncture the lessening of Portuguese influence on it due to multiple causes associated with it. Although large chunk of Christians had already spread over southern region until Kanara but unique crisis was seen when big spiritual wretchedness was felt due to non-availability of Priests. It all happened due to the recall of many such Priests to Goa upon the withdrawal of Portuguese protection at that time.
A team of Carmelite missionary arrived Canara in 1658. They observed dilapidated condition of local Christians and informed that to Rome for effective resolution. No time was wasted and The Holy See took timely steps for help. The Vicar Apostolic of Canara and Malabar and Theatine Priest, Rev. Fr. Thomas de Castro was appointed there in 1674 to improve the condition.
He would have arrived there in 1674 itself but reached Mangalore only after three years due to unavoidable delays in that period while there were hardly any proper means of communication or infrastructure. He reached there and started work to build church in 1680.It was a ray of hope for the local Catholics who found their own place of worship there.
This priest died on July 16 1684.The cemetery in the Milagres has his grave that can be best viewed as one with bronze slab nearby the St. Monica Chapel there.
First Milagres Church (1680−1784)
17th Century saw renaissance in Mangalore in the church administration because of the good number of Roman Catholic inhabitants. Those Catholics having migrated from Goa hardly possessed any priestly leadership in Canara. Most Goan Christians preferred returning back to Goa once Portuguese left the region. The then Carmelite missionary, Fr. Vincento Maria de Santa Catharina arrived Canara in 1658. He explained all plights and sufferings of locals to Rome and demanded immediate aid for them. The Canara Christians were finally provided aid by The Holy See for which Theatine Bishop Thomas de Castro was appointed in 1674 to look after their affairs. His appointment as Vicar Apostolic of Canara and Malabar brought ample change in the region. It was in 1677 that the Bishop de Castro came to Mangalore three years after his appointment. The Keladi Queen Chennamma gifted him a piece of land to build church. Church building was ready in 1680. He preferred to take up residency in one of the church quarters. The remains of Bishop de Castro were buried in the church cemetery when he died on July 16 1684. His bronze slab grave is there in cemetery’s south eastern corner nearby the St. Monica Chapel and is seen there.
The successor of Queen Chennamma, King Basavappa repossessed this land after the death of queen. Local priest Fr. Pinto finally secured land from Somashekara II in 1715. A new church was built there by his successor and nephew Fr. Alfred Pinto at that land in 1756. Canara was seized by Hyder Ali in 1763. The region came under the control of his son Tipu Sultan in 1782. He was believed to assume that a few Christians from local area planned some conspiracy against him by siding with the British rulers while Second Anglo-Mysore War was fought. Tipu took strict step and order to arrest and capture approximately 60,000 Mangalorean Catholics on February 24 1784. Captured people were sent to Seringapatam from where he ruled. He destroyed the Milagres Church and 27 other churches in that year itself.
Present Structure
Mangalorean Catholics got freedom from captivity post Fourth Anglo-Mysore War on May 4, 1799 in which Tipu was killed by the British forces. Christians returned to their homeland in Mangalore. A baker, Lawrence Bello was one of the returnees from captivity who founded a chapel that could at least replace the church having been demolished earlier. It was built on the site at the cost of Rs. 400 where current church exists. Necessary furniture were secured by the then Vicar Apostolic, Fr. Mendez. He got support of former munshi of Tipu, Salvador Pinto. Both did best efforts to raise funds and got grant of Rs. 600 from the government to build this church. Foundation of a new and spacious church was held in 1811. Unfortunately the church facade collapsed in 1911. A new church structure was designed by the then Parish priest Fr. Frank Pereira with the help of architect Fr. Diamanti S.J. The structure also had a portico in the new design.
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