Originally served from Ullal, Bela was formed into a parish in 1880. The first parish priest was Fr Pascal Mascarenhas.The former church was at Kudrepady, a rather inaccessible locality.
Fr J. J. D’Souza, the next parish priest, secured a more suitable site for the church on an elevated place commanding a beautiful scenery and built there a new church which was blessed by Bishop Pagani on January 10, 1892. Fr J. A Rodrigues, parish priest, acquired the surrounding land for the church. Fr F. I. Peris built the church
portico. Fr P. F. Lobo renewed the roof of the church and the presbytery in 1963.
In the process of its renovation the church was practically rebuilt in 2001. One of its several blessings is that it can easily accommodate 1000 persons at a time. A 300-metre long tunnel burrowed near the church has become another holy place, where devotees can and do find peace.The credit goes to Fr Basil Vas for excavating it. Inside there is a sepulchre. Deep inside the tunnel one can see a model of risen Christ and at the end of the cave there is a perennial water pond, claimed to have been existing no one knows since when. There is something unearthly about the water too.
Bela has been twice blessed by the presence and work of the Sisters of Charity since 1932 as well as the Dominican Sisters. “The establishment of St Mary’s Secondary School and St Mary’s College of Commerce and Administration has changed the
face of Bela. The high school has the distinction of securing cent per cent results ever since it was established.”