Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Siridao is a parish church in Goa Velha with a long and complicated history of collapse, rebuilding, and renewal. Also known as the Siridao Church, it is a small but significant parish with strong ties to early Dominican mission history.
Basic profile
- Location: Siridao, Goa Velha, Goa 403108.
- Dedication: Our Lady of the Rosary.
- Portuguese name: Nossa Senhora do Rosario Igreja em Siridao, Goa.
- Popular name: The Siridao Church.
- Parish size: Around 300 Catholics.
History
The church began as a primitive church founded by the Dominicans between 1554 and 1603. The early church collapsed completely in 1869, after which the parish territory was joined to Goa Velha.
In 1906, the church was rebuilt as a parish again and administered from a chapel. The present church building was blessed on 13 May 1973, giving the parish a modern home after its long period of rebuilding.
Its layered history makes it one of the more resilient parish stories in Goa, moving from an early mission site to a later rebuilt church.
Parish life
The parish has around 300 Catholics and remains small and close-knit. Parish life is quiet but active, with the church serving as the main spiritual centre for the village.
Because the parish was rebuilt after collapse, it carries a strong sense of continuity and recovery. The community remains attached to the church despite its small size.
The church’s relationship with Goa Velha also places it within the broader sacred landscape of Old Goa.
Feast and devotion
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on the last Sunday of October every year. It is the principal feast of the parish and the main annual celebration in Siridao.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary gives the parish a Marian character and links it to the wider Rosary traditions of Goa. The feast is a time of prayer, procession, and local gathering.
Note: Siridao is locally known as “The Siridao Church,†which emphasizes the church’s role as the village’s main Catholic landmark.
Church building
The present church, blessed in 1973, is the result of a long rebuilding process after the collapse of the earlier structure. It is a modest parish church but holds deep historical value because of the earlier mission foundations.
The church sits in a historic part of Goa Velha and is part of the old Christian landscape of the area. Its architecture is functional and devotional rather than monumental.
What gives it significance is not size but the long memory of the parish community.
Address
- Address: Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Siridao, Goa Velha, Goa 403108.
Present significance
Today, Our Lady of the Rosary Church at Siridao remains a small but meaningful parish with roots in early Dominican Christianity. Its 16th-century origin, 1869 collapse, 1906 rebuilding, and 1973 blessing make it a notable church in Goa Velha.
For the people of Siridao, it is both a parish home and a symbol of faith rebuilt over time.