Sancoale villagers ask high court of Bombay at Goa not to allow digging near church

For centuries and up until last year, all the religious activities were carried out at the shrine of Joseph Vaz, which is five kilometres away in Shindolim, Sancoale.

Panaji:  The high court of Bombay at Goa has asked the government to ensure that no excavation is carried out in the vicinity of the old church of Our Lady of Health, a protected monument at Sancoale, the new venue for the celebration of the feast of St Joseph Vaz. The high court stated that it was all right to dig a little to erect stalls for the feast but added that no excavation should be carried out.

Advocate Subodh Kantak, arguing for the petitioners, stated that the Our Lady of Health Church is a protected monument and excavations were carried out last year without permissions and complaints were filed.

For centuries and up until last year, all the religious activities were carried out at the shrine of Joseph Vaz, which is five kilometres away in Shindolim, Sancoale.

Six villagers of Sancoale, Cortalim and Vasco, in their PIL, asked for directions to ensure that no event, meeting, feast be allowed to be conducted in the vicinity of the protected monument — Frontispiece of Sancoale — without obtaining requisite permission.

The villagers also asked that an order be issued asking the director of archives and archaeology to acquire the protected monument under the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1978, and Rules 1980.

Source: Times of India