Panaji: The city got its third Roman Catholic parish on Wednesday, with the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman issuing a decree of erection to create the parish of Miramar and elevate the Stella Maris Chapel at La Campala Colony, Miramar, to the status of a church.Until now, the state capital had two territorial parishes — Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and St Agnes, St Inez. Since its institution in 1989, Stella Maris Chapel had remained under the jurisdiction of the St Agnes parish.A solemn Mass was held on Wednesday evening to mark Miramar’s detachment from the St Agnes parish and the elevation of the 37-year-old Stella Maris Chapel to a church. Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, was the main celebrant.Chancellor at the Archbishop’s House, Fr Romeo Monteiro, read out the decree of erection during the liturgy. Such a decree establishes the parish, defines its territory, indicates the parish church, and sets out key administrative and pastoral provisions. Once promulgated, it confers canonical status on the parish.Even after its creation, the parish of Stella Maris will continue to use the cemetery of the Church of St Agnes. The most recent chaplain of Stella Maris Chapel was Fr Joao Cruz Zeferino de Souza, former secretary of the Diocesan Society of Education. He is now the church’s parochial administrator.Before a new parish is created, the diocese evaluates whether a defined area has sufficient Catholic population, stable pastoral needs, and practical capacity to function as a separate parish.The bishop then consults diocesan bodies and stakeholders to assess feasibility, boundaries, and resources. The new parish’s rights and responsibilities are also specified, including sacramental registers, administration, and pastoral care for residents within the defined territory before the decree of erection is promulgated.Stella Maris, Latin for star of the sea, is a traditional name for the Virgin Mary acting as a guide and protector, particularly for sailors. The church, located in Panaji’s sea-facing locale of Miramar, was dedicated to the Virgin Mary soon after its consecration in 1989.It was initially served by Jesuit priests and was later taken over by the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman to constitute a part of the Panaji deanery.
