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Our Lady of Happy Death ChurchSamsi

A Brief History of the Church

What could be more blessed than approaching death with the invocation to Mary! The Church of Samsi has given our Diocese, perhaps India, an attribute to Mary, “Bomodth Saibinn” (Nossa Senhora de Boa Morte) – Our Lady of Happy Death. Perhaps the inspiration may have come from the Portuguese ancestors. All that is known from hearsay is that the original Statue of Our Lady was found in the backwaters of Samsi at Saralgi, (3 kms from present day Samsi) where a Chapel was constructed in 1891, and the Statue deposited there. There is also a belief that the original settlers of Samsi are the Mirandas from the Gangolli area. It is not known when and how the Church at Saralgi was destroyed but all that can be said of the present Church in Samsi is that the land and the surrounding are generous gifts of philanthropic Hindus like Mangesh Rao, Jogaya Naik and the Hanumant Temple priest of Durgakeri of Honavar.
The Church built in 1911, had under its jurisdiction the Chapels of Kodani, Allanki, Gersoppa and was administered by the Priest of the Gundibala Parish. When Fr. J. B. D’ Silva of the Belgaum Diocese was appointed to the Samsi Mission, he preferred to stay in Kodani. The original wooden statue of Our Lady of Happy Death mysteriously disappeared. The Capuchins were handed over the administration of Samsi in 1968 till 1983. The Capuchins not only endeared themselves to the people, they strengthened their faith and reformed their social life. A new Church was built and inaugurated on 14.4.1991 when Fr. Lawrence Fernandes was the Parish Priest. He also laboured to renovate the Presbytery. Fr. Jerome D Souza, Fr. Lawrence Pereira, Fr. Lawrence Fernandes, Fr. Marcel Crasta, Fr. Salvadore Gonsalves, Fr. Gabriel Monis, Fr. Andrew Pinto, Presently Fr. Alwyn D Sa is the Parish Priest. For some time from 1982 – 1992 the Sisters of the Society of the Handmaids of the Poor served in this Parish by helping in pastoral, catechetical and developmental activities.

Rev. Fr. Alwyn Patrick D’Sa

Parish Priest, Our Lady of Happy Death, Samsi
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Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
1971 – 1972
Fr. Walter Saldhana
02
1972 – 1978
Fr. Gregory Vaz
03
1978 – 1980
Fr. Benn Britto Prabhu
04
1980 – 1981
Fr. Herald Dsouza
05
1981 – 1983
Fr. Simon Tellis
06
1983 – 1984
Fr. Jerome D’Souza
07
1984 – 1986
Fr. Lawrence Pereira
08
1986 – 1991
Fr. Lawrence Fernandes
09
1991 – 1998
Fr. Salvador Gonsalves
10
1998 – 2000
Fr. Marcel Crasta
11
2000 – 2006
Fr. John Fernandes
12
2006 – 2012
Fr. Gabriel Monis
13
2012 – 2018
Fr. Peter Carnehro
14
2018 – 2023
Fr. Andrew Pinto
15
2023 – Onwards
Fr. Alwyn Patrick D’Sa