Goacom has on its website the history of Moir� (among several other villages) as presented by Gordon Mendonca. The narrative utilized some information drawn from a booklet I published on the occasion of 350th anniversary of the village church in 1986. I had cited there the contemporary Franciscan chronicle of Fr. Paulo de Trindade *Conquista Espiritual do Oriente* (Part I), in which chapters 58 and 59 provide many details about the village and how it was converted. The chronicler mentions that he obtained funds from the State Exchequer through the viceroy to fund the church construction and to provide baptism dresses to nearly 300 ganvkars who were baptized on a single day in the presence of the Franciscan Provincial Fr. Luis de Concei��o [hence the choice of the patron?]. One new bit of information is now available in a notarial writ preserved in the National Library of Lisbon and dated 1623. The Franciscan Comissary-General Fr. Luis da Cruz states that the church of O.L. of Concei��o in Moir� was funded by a Flemish Jewel trader, Joseph de Couttre, who lived in Goa around that time. His brother, Jacques de Couttre was also involved in jewel trading on a big scale. They were convert Jews and were hauled before the Inquisition and deported to Lisbon. They succeeded in getting away with testimonials of their generosity and charity towards the Church and the poor in Goa. The two brothers, like many other big time dealers, were also trading on behalf of the viceroys and important government officials and religious, who could not trade directly because of their official / social / religious status. May be the assistance through the viceroy as mentioned by the Franciscan chronicler came actually from the Flemish jewel trader. Ferdinand Cron was another such rich jewel trader based in Goan and who contributed towards the tomb of St. Francis Xavier and the festivities of his cannonization.
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