📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Urvi Bhonsle13
Religion
Lightning Strikes 250-Year-Old St Estevam Church in Goa, Sacristy Severely Damaged
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 25 Oct 2026, 04:46 AM
👁 11
A lightning bolt hit the 250‑year‑old St Estevam Church in Goa, causing serious damage to its sacristy. Local authorities are assessing the extent of the destruction.
The historic St Estevam Church, a landmark that has stood for more than two and a half centuries in the coastal village of St Estevam, Goa, was struck by lightning on Thursday evening. The sudden discharge caused the roof of the sacristy to collapse, leaving the interior exposed to the elements.
Eyewitnesses reported a bright flash followed by a loud crack, after which smoke and debris were seen emerging from the sacristy area. No injuries were reported, but the structural damage is described as severe, with the wooden beams and plasterwork of the sacristy most affected.
The parish priest, accompanied by officials from the Goa State Archaeology Department, inspected the site shortly after the incident. Preliminary reports indicate that restoration work will be required to preserve the heritage structure, and funds are being mobilised through the church’s emergency reserve and state heritage schemes.
Local heritage activists have called for swift repairs, emphasizing the church’s cultural importance to the community and its role in Goa’s colonial history. The department has promised a detailed assessment report within the next few days.
Authorities have also advised nearby residents to avoid the immediate vicinity until safety checks are completed, and a temporary shelter has been set up for parishioners who use the sacristy for daily rites.
Eyewitnesses reported a bright flash followed by a loud crack, after which smoke and debris were seen emerging from the sacristy area. No injuries were reported, but the structural damage is described as severe, with the wooden beams and plasterwork of the sacristy most affected.
The parish priest, accompanied by officials from the Goa State Archaeology Department, inspected the site shortly after the incident. Preliminary reports indicate that restoration work will be required to preserve the heritage structure, and funds are being mobilised through the church’s emergency reserve and state heritage schemes.
Local heritage activists have called for swift repairs, emphasizing the church’s cultural importance to the community and its role in Goa’s colonial history. The department has promised a detailed assessment report within the next few days.
Authorities have also advised nearby residents to avoid the immediate vicinity until safety checks are completed, and a temporary shelter has been set up for parishioners who use the sacristy for daily rites.