ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH / ST. ESTEVAM CHURCH
Pilgrimage
Distance (From Kadamba Bus Terminus): 23 Kms
Commonly Visited From: Shri Laxmi Ravalnath Devasthan, Marcel (4.5 kms)
Trip Duration (From Shri Laxmi Ravalnath Devasthan, Marcel , Including Travel): 1 Hour
Place Location: St. Estevam Island
Transportation Options: Cab / Auto / Rental Bike
Travel Tips: This place is usually visited from Shri Laxmi Ravalnath Devasthan, Marcel (4.5 kms)
At a distance of 23 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 39 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 33 km from Mapusa, St.Stephen's Church is situated on the island of Jua near Divar in North Goa.
The Stephen's Church is also known as St. Estevam Church, which is perched on top of the hillock. The present Church was not the first church on the island. The Jesuits first built the church in 1575, which was destroyed due to fire on 25th November 1683 by Sambhaji Raja Bhonsle during the Maratha campaign against Goa. The villagers of Santo Estevam soon rebuilt their church. However, Maratha forces burned it down again in 1739. The present edifice was erected in 1759.
St. Stephen's Church was one of the large churches to be built in Goa and is special due to its exterior portion resembling a false dome surrounded by twin towers with lanterns. The Church is built in Corinthian style with a nave ceilings decorated with floral graffiti, side altars and elegant pulpit. The main altar of the church is dedicated to St. Stevens. The Statue of St Steven's stands below a four pillared canopy.
The Church contains seven side chapels. One altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Remedios, another to the Crucified Christ. A magnificent altar is dedicated to Nossa Senhora de Boas Venturas, which once served the nearby church of Tolto. The statue of St. Dominic in the Church is believed to have been brought from the convent of St. Dominic in Old Goa.
In the Church compound the villagers put up a monument to Sacred Heart of Jesus which was inaugurated on 16th December 1934 and is popularly known as the statue of Christ the King. It was brought from Rome in 1926 by Fr Antonio Leandro da Rosa. There is another monument to Sacred Heart of Mary blessed on 31st December 1943.
St. Stephen's feast is celebrated on 26th December every Year with great pomp. Saint Stephen known as the Proto martyr of Christianity has his name derived from the Greek Stephen, meaning wreath or crown in Greek.
