“The True Church can never fail. For it is based upon a rock.”
T. S. Eliot
Churches of Fort Bassein, Vasai, Mumbai
On entering the older parts of Vasai, the influence of Christianity becomes apparent in the small nooks, road crossings, and house names. Nameplates of Pereira, Antony, D’Souza, and D’Silva peep out from bungalows. It all began when the Portuguese defeated the Sultan of Gujarat and laid claim over this region. Mass conversions of local inhabitants followed the churches.
Within the Vasai Fort, the Portuguese built many churches, colleges, and convents. The five buildings which stand today are Franciscan Church of Saint Antonio, Holy Name of Jesus Church and Jesuit College, The Church of Our Lady of Life (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Vida), Gonsalo Garcia Dominican Church and Convent, and The Cathedral of St. Joseph.
St. Anthony’s Church
As we enter the fort through Porta Da Terra, the first visible structure is that of Franciscan Church of Saint Antonio, or St. Anthony’s Church. Built in 1557 AD in memory of Saint Antonio of Lisbon, the patron saint of lost and stolen articles, it has 250 tombstones of Portuguese nobles and soldiers lining the floor.
The entrance leads straight into the nave of the church with no aisles. Two raised platforms precede the high altar. Above the high altar, you see a weather-beaten but spectacular stone ceiling. Attached to the main construct is an abbey with its symmetrical arches still standing on the pillars.
Holy Name Of Jesus Church and College
Next on the route is the Holy Name of Jesus Church and Jesuit College. If you’ve been to the Saint Paul’s Church and Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, you’ll find this church resembling them. Saint Francis Xavier commissioned its construction around 1549 AD. St. Francis Xavier visited the city of Bassein three times, once in 1544, and twice in 1548. During his last visit, he founded the Jesuit College of the Holy Name of God.
The most famous pupil of the Jesuit college is India’s first Christian saint, Gonçalo Garcia, a Vasai resident. The Holy Name of Jesus Church holds the annual Feast of St Gonçalo Garcia post-Christmas and is the only functional church in the fort.
Other Churches in Fort Bassein
The 1535 AD Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Vida is the first structure within the fort with fortifications being built later. Attached to the inner entrance of the citadel, opposite the Captain’s Palace, it is a simple structure with no decorations.
The Dominican church of Gonçalo Garcia, built in 1564, has interesting sea-shell shaped decorations on its outer door. A convent for the monks is alongside. Most churches have Doric and Corinthian pillar design on their entrance, with bell towers at the rear.
