Press Note

Pilar: The strength of the Society of Pilar   lies in Jesus. We need to focus on the Jesus like our founder Fr Bento Martins, stated Fr Tony Lopes, the Superior General of the Society of Pilar.
Fr Tony Lopes was speaking during the Eucharistic celebration to mark 125 years of its foundation on September 26 in the Pilar Monastery.  
You may take it for granted that the Pilar Society began in Pilar. Interestingly, Pilar Society was founded on September 26, 1887 at Agonda, Goa.  It was only in 1890, the headquarters was shifted to the Pilar Monastery, which was built in 1613. Some Pilar fathers also went to Agonda to pay the respect to the founder.

A Pilar priest Fr Cosme Costa, professor of history at the Pilar Theological College, recalling the historic moment stated that Fr Jose Mariano Clemente Bento Martins (Bento Martins) from Orlim, after his priestly ordination had told the Bishop that “in order to serve God and the Church in a better way, out of his own will he had dedicated himself for the religious education of the peoples of the New Conquests, who were so much in need of it”.
‘As a deacon, Bento Martins had in 1878 started a school in Tilamola, Quepem. He had then been sent in 1881 to Valpoi in Satari Taluka and established the first Christian community there. By 1884 he was given additional charge of Agonda in Canacona Taluka, where three more clerics joined him, and with them he founded ‘the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier’ on 26th September 1887’ Fr Cosme Costa said.
Dr Fr Sergio Mascarenhas, presently writing a book Fr Bento Martins stated that ‘after the inclusion of the new conquest(except Bardez, Ilhas and Salcete), those Christians went in search of economic interest and those who had problems of law and order started to reside in the new conquest, had no priest to cater to their need. Fr Bento Martins started to work for such poor Christians in the remote corners of Goa.’
Fr Sergio said that Fr Bento Martins’ primary concern was to educate the poor people.  As a result, Fr Bento along with his companions without the aid for the Government started many schools in the rural areas and also started a school in Latin, so that the poor people can pursue their higher education.’
Fr Cosme Costa added that ‘Seeing their dedication and service, the first Patriarch Dom Antonio Sebastiao  Valente gave his Summer Residence (from 1878) of Pilar Monastery to them as the headquarters of the new Society on 4th February 1890 and since then it came to be commonly known as the “Society of Pilar.’