Pilar Monastery Exterior

Part of the exterior of Pilar Monastery
Built by the Franciscan Capuchos from Spain, Pilar Monastery stands on a hill at Goa Velha (literally “Old Goa”), once part of the ancient port city of Gopakapattana, near the estuary where the Zuari River meets the Arabian Sea. Because of its strategic location, Gopakapattana flourished under several dynasties over the centuries, including the Kadambas of Goa, who made it their capital.

According to historical records, the monastery was founded in 1613 by the Spanish missionaries of the Reformed Franciscan Recollects, known as the Capuchos. A church dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of Pilar) formed part of the monastery. The word pilar means “pillar” in Spanish, and both the monastery and the place where it stands eventually came to be known simply as Pilar.

In 1633, a center of learning for the study of science, arts, and theology was established within the monastery complex.

Later, in 1887, the Goan priest Fr. José Bento Martins founded the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, commonly known as the Society of Pilar, at Agonda in Canacona. In 1890, the Society’s headquarters were transferred from Agonda to Pilar Monastery, which became its Mother House. The Society was subsequently reorganized at Pilar in 1939. For a brief history of the monastery and the Society of Pilar, see this historical plaque displayed in the monastery cloister.

Inside, the monastery contains an ornate church with a Baroque-style sanctuary and an adjoining two-story cloister arranged around an open courtyard. The sanctuary contains three gilded altarpieces; the central one houses the statue of Our Lady of Pilar, brought from Spain in 1952.

Embedded in the walls of the cloister is a series of paintings depicting episodes from the lives of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, St. Joseph, and other Christian narratives. Although their subjects belong to the European Christian tradition, many of the scenes were rendered by local artists with distinctly Indian elements, a fascinating meeting of European narrative and Indian rendition.

The monastery complex also houses the Pilar Museum, whose collection includes archaeological objects discovered in and around Pilar, including sculptures and other artifacts from its glorious past. Among its important exhibits are Kadamba royal sculptures, coins, and other objects that illuminate the much older history of the site.

Near the entrance is the chapel housing the tomb of Venerable Fr. Agnelo de Souza, whose remains were transferred to Pilar in 1939. Devotion to Fr. Agnelo continues to draw large numbers of devotees, particularly on Thursdays and during the annual novena, making Pilar an important pilgrimage and devotional center in Goa.

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