Church of St Anne

About Saint Anne Church Goa

Situated in Talaulim in Old Goa, Church of St Ana is known for its impressive architecture. This 17th century church was declared a national monument during the Portuguese rule itself just like Bom Jesus Basilica, Se Cathedral, Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Convent of Santa Monica and the Church of St. Cajetan.

The major highlight of Church of St Anne are the hollow walls through which people could walk in secrecy for confession. On July 26, an annual feast takes place in Church of St Anne which is called ‘Touceachem Fest’ (Cucumber Feast).

History of Church of St Anne

The history of Church of St Anne states that its construction began in 1577 by Monsignor Francisco de Rego and it was completed in 1695, by his successor, Rev. Fr. Antonio Francisco da Cunha.

Folklore/Legend of Church of St Anne

A priest residing at Talaulim Village decided to construct a small hermitage but he failed to consecrate this sacred building in the honour of any known saint. An elderly village person named Bartalomeu Marchon had a vision of an old woman coming down the hill with a walking cane and a hat and claimed that the hermitage was her abode and wanted to set her residence there.

An old Brahmin lady in the village also claimed to see a similar dream where the lady with the staff and hat took her by hand to raise from her bed on which she was stricken due to some disease. The old Brahmin lady claimed that the lady in her dream told her name as Anne and she wanted a house in the village.

The priest then decided to that the glorious St Anne had to be revered in the village and the church was consecrated to St Anne.

Architecture of Church of St Anne

The architecture of Church of St Anne is a mix of Portuguese Baroque style and Indian style. It is thus considered one of the finest examples of architecture in Goa.

Major Highlights of Church of St Anne

• Touceachem Fest (Cucumber Feast)
• Hollow Walls

How to Reach Church of St Anne?

The Church of St Anne is situated around 11 km from PAnneji via MDR 2. One can easily get a taxi or an auto-rickshaw to reach the Church of St Anne from PAnneji.