The Rachol

Little distance away from banks of Zuari River is a place called Rachol. It is the residential area, it is cool place. This place is famous for religious activities which were carried from centuries. Here is the famous Seminary of Rachol, in tangible solitude; this Seminar is very important part of Goa. This seminary is first in Bardez side and second after in Old Goa. College of Ignatius Loyola was setup here in the year 1580. University of Arts, Science and Technology has been established here by Capuchins. It was in the year 1759, Archbishop da Silveira declared Rachol as a diocesan Seminary with the title ‘The Good Sheperd’, Bom Pastor.

The Seminary has lot of students here not only from Goa but also from various parts of India. The church here honoured to St. Ignatius Loyola was established in 1606 carrying simple decoration. Inside in the left, the altar is dedicated to St. Constantine, adjacent to altar is the statue of Christ which basically open on First Friday only. Outside the entrance to the choir is called as Corredor des Patriarcas, arts of St. Francis of Assisi, a door down the St. Ignatius Loyola is Archbishop’s Gallery, at the end of church is Sacristy.

Rachol is also associated with some famous name such as Father Thomas Stephen, the first English man to arrive in Goa in 1579, Fr. Diogo Ribeiro scholarly priest of Rachol, Fr. Agnelo de Souza who was appointed here as a Spiritual Director in 1899 by the Archbishop.

The fort here is in a ruin which was built way in 1520 by Sultan of Bijapur, Ismail Adil Khan the emperor of Vijayanar. This fort was good protection for Portuguese to run their activities safely. Just outside the walls of forts there is church honoured to Nossa senhora das Neves, Our lady of Snows, today it is Rachol Parish Church.