As a coastal settlement the people were in contact with the Portuguese. It has been said that some fisherfolk were converted by the Franciscan missionaries right at the start who as a result put up a place of worship. But a church could be claimed as existing only around 1750, though what is more definitely known belongs to the beginning of the 19th century when the chapel here was served by the church of Ullal (Panir). This church is believed to be the fruit of the efforts of a certain Mr Joseph Rosario, who was the customs collector at Manjeshwar. The place with the chapel was separated from Ullal on November 6, 1919 and Fr J. M. Menezes was appointed the first parish priest to carry on in this office till 1932. He is said to have erected the first church proper, though it was overhauled by Fr Peter D’Sa who served as parish priest from 1938 to 1945. Fr D’Sa was followed by Fr Philip G. Nazareth who extended the church building reinforcing it with a granite facade as well as a well-designed altar. Among other vicars a few may be mentioned who made some significant contribution to the church and parish. Fr Ambrose C. Aranha was one whose tenure lasted from 1959. He renewed the church roof and rebuilt the kitchen. Adding to the people’s piety he introduced the novena of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. To help improve the finances of the church he planted cashew trees in the
church compound. Fr Julian D’Mello (1969-1979) brought electricity to the church and the presbytery. His successor, Fr Leo A. Cutinho (1979-1989) saw to the repairs of the church and the presbytery. Typical of the man, he fought the land case in the court and won it in favour of the church. Fr Baptist Menezes who was in office from
1995 to 1996, Fr Robert Miranda who succeded him (1996-1997) and others who followed worked hard at the parish uplift; they renewed the church building and erected a belfry; constructed another floor over the school building and renovated the shcool office and science lab; arranged for a bus to visit the place regularly; provided decent toilet facilites and drinking water supply and gave a facelift to the natural surroundings of the church and schools and in fine strove hard to build the parishioners into one family. The Pallottine Missionary Sisters were invited in 1998 to run the schools. In 2002 the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Rosary came in to work for the social uplift of the people. The religious of both the Congregations are intensely involved in their work. In keeping with the renewal in the church, both the pastors and the people of God have been toiling for the improvements in spiritual
and material needs of the parish, while at the same time working out a plan in preparation for the centenary celebrations of the church.