Feast of St. Lawrence Church at Sinquerim North Goa

History of St. Lawrence Church, Sinquerim The Original chapel of St. Lawrence at Sinquerim, the forerunner of the present church was founded in 1630 by the then viceroy Dom Miguel de Noronha, the fourth Count of Linhares. From its modest beginnings as an ermida(built either in 1630 or 1633), meant for a handful of poor fisher folk, it now became a Church. In 1636 he granted it to the Franciscans a few weeks before leaving Goa at the end of his term. St. Lawrence Church was a part of the Aguada fortress, water reservoir and lighthouse. It stood as a silent witness to the ups and downs in the political, military and economic history of the Portuguese in India as well as the changing fortunes of Padroado Portuguese do Oriente, later it became a Rectorate of the Franciscans and remained so for about half a century, roughly from early 1720 to late 1760, when the Franciscans had to quit Bardez and the Diocesan secular clergy took over. and eventually to the transition from Portuguese colonialism to liberation and reunion with India. The feast of this Church is celebrated on the 10th of August.