OUR LADY OF HOPE CHURCH, VYPEEN The southern-most unit of the historic diocese, in fact, the second one in India, the Diocese of Cochin, the Parish of Our Lady of Hope, abides at the southern tip of the island, Vypeen. Of the three, thickly populated big islands lying west to Ernakulam on the main land, Vypeen, with a length of twenty-four kilometers north-south is the extreme one, touching the Arabia Sea. The island is separated from the mainland in the south by the shipping channel to the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Cochin! |
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IMAGE COLLECTION Vypeen Church (vypeenchurch.org) Babish VB, 2010 (Flickr) Joseph Pulikotil, 2009 (ptjosephrosa.blogspot.pt) Oswin Naveen, 2008 (Panoramio) Jay, 2008 (churchesofkerala.blogspot.pt)
(Google Images) |
SOURCES OF INFORMATION The Parish of Our Lady of Hope is the northern most one of the historic diocese, Cochin. In fact, Cochin is the second diocese in India and hence, an erstwhile Mother Diocese to many a bishopric in the sub-continent. The Parish has, as her Heavenly Patroness, Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ and Mother to the whole Universal Church. The parish church dedicated to the patroness, Our Lady of Hope ( Nossa Senhora de Esperanca ), situates at the very end, the southern tip, of this Wonderful, beautiful island, Vypeen. More... During the Age of Discovery, the Roman Catholic Church established a number of Missions in the New World in order to spread Christianity. The missionaries of the different orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Augustinians, etc.) flocked out and began at once to build churches along the coast districts wherever the Portuguese power made itself felt. This church was built by the Portuguese missionaries and blessed in 1605 A.D by Bishop Dom Andrea de Santa Maria O.F.M., the then Bishop of Cochin. The Dutch who conquered Cochin in 1663, destroyed all Catholic buildings in Cochin. Only the St. Francis Church and the Santa Cruz Basilica escaped this fate. The original wooden altar and screen of St Francis church were moved to this church when the Dutch took possession of St Francis church. This imposing church was renovated in 2005 as part of its fourth centenary celebrations. The fourth centenary of her erection was celebrated on 19 November 2005. More... As cerca de 50 famílias lusodescendentes na ilha de Vaipim, nas redondezas da Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Esperança, são o testemunho mais vivo da presença histórica portuguesa. Falam num crioulo indo-português que já foi muito estudado por académicos de todo o mundo, mas está mais do que nunca em perigo de extinção. More... Na área de conservação e restauro do património, a instituição portuguesa foi responsável por intervenções em diversos monumentos, igrejas e edifícios públicos de interesse históricocultural, como a igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte, em Velha Goa, onde é realizado anualmente o Monte Music Festival, evento de música clássica ocidental e indiana que atrai muitos turistas à cidade. O restauro da arte sacra da Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Esperança em Vaipin, Cochim, e a restauração dos altares da Igreja de São Francisco, também em Cochim, são talvez as intervenções com maior visibilidade. Em 2000, a fundação contribuiu ainda para o restauro da alfândega e do quartel da polícia de Pangim, visando a preservação do património mas também fomentar as actividades económicas ligadas ao turismo. More... |
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