BY ARMSTRONG VAZ
CUNCOLIM JAN 25 2005;- THE maintenance work on the martyrs chapel of Cuncolim is going. The chapel is dedicated to the five Jesuit priests who fell prey to the Cuncolim revolt along with four other lay men at the hands of the Cuncolim people. Another chapel stands at the site where the priests and lay man bodies were dumped after being murdered at Cuncolim. The site is the present day Maddicotto chapel dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. Subsequently 16 chieftains of Cuncolim village were invited to the Assolna fort for peace talks and subsequently murdered by the Portuguese. Of the sixteen only one escaped and swam to safety to recount the suffering and torture of the ordeal at the hands of the Portuguese. Thereafter The peoples movement of disobedience and opposing the Portuguese started in 1559-and went on till 1583 in Cuncolim. the five priests who died at Cuncolim included Fr Rudolf Aquaviva who once served in the court of the Moghul emperor giving him disclosures on the Christian faith, others priests who died and whose painting adore the chapel at Cuncolim include Afonso Pachecho, Antonio Francisco ,Pedr Berno , and Francisco Aranha. Others lay man who were killed were Alphonso Da Costa, Farancisco rodrigues, Domongos Aguair and Father Berno's altar boy. The five priests who were massacred at Cuncolim were Rudolf Acquaviv was born in 1550. He came to Goa from Portugal in September 1578 after being ordained as a priest He was appointed to the chair of philosophy which he taught for about year. For about three years at the Akbar's court for religious discussion. He was, appointed superior at the end of June 1583 ALPHONSUS PACHECO was born about 1551, of a noble family of Toledo in Spain, and entered the Society in September1567. In September, 1574, 'he arrived in Goa, where: he so distinguished himself by his rare prudence and virtue that in 1578 he was sent to Europe on important business. Returning to India in 1581, with l3 new missionaries among whom were Jerome xavier, and Anthony Franciso his fellow-martyr, he was made rectors of the Rachol mission. He accompanied two punitive expedition of the Portuguese to the village of Cuncolim, and was instrumental in destroying the pagodas there. He was vicar of Margao church PETER BERND was born of humble parents in 1550 at Ascona, a Swiss vi1lage at the foot of the Alps. After being ordained priest in Rome, he entered ,the Society of Jesus in 1577. Arrived in Goa in October 1579 and was soon appointed to Salcete, He accompanied as chaplain the expeditions to Cuncolim, and assisted in destroying the pagan temples. He was vicar of Colva church. ANTHONY' FRANCISCO, was born in 1553. Studied at Coimbra in Portugal and joined the Society in.1571. He accompanied Fr. Pacheco to India in 1581 and was shortly afterwards ordained priest in Goa. He was vicar of Orlim Church. FRANCIS ARANHA was born of a, wealthy and noble family of Braga. in Portugal, about 1551, and went to India with his uncle, the first Archbishop of Goa, Don Gaspar there he joined the Society of Jesus as lay brother in November, 1571. Being a skilled draughtsman and architect, he built several fine chapels in the Salcete Mission. . There are only five names recorded by history of five lay'"' man killed which are the following; 1 Afonso Da Costa, a native of Margao was 14 years old. He was a student of Rachol school. 2. Francisco Rodrigues, a native of Loutolim Salcete, about 20 years of age was residing in Rachol at the time of his massacre. He was a tax collector of Devalayas. 3. Paulo Da Costa, about 20 to 25 years of age, a native of Rachol. He was known as father procurator or tutor of new converts. 4. Gonsalo Rodrigues was a Portuguese of European nationality. In Rachol he used to serve as a secretary of Portuguese authorities. DOMINIC AGUIAR --"Dominic a boy of Cuncolim and a student at Rachol always accompanied Fr Berno in his expeditions.