High atop this small rise in Coroa stands the Igreja Nova de São Martinho de Bougado. From here we can see much of Trofa. The church serves as a religious beacon for the community.
This impressive building can hold about 2,000 people for important religious ceremonies. Imagine the chorus of voices during a packed Christmas Eve mass.
Below us, under the main floor, is a large space. It is used for meetings parties and religious education. The Igreja Nova de São Martinho de Bougado also has sacristies and two spacious funeral homes.
Around the church you will notice a courtyard. It features grass beds and ample parking.
The first stone of this parish complex was laid on June 20 1982. Dom Armindo Lopes Coelho Bishop Auxiliary of the Diocese of Porto presided over the event. Father Joaquim Ribeiro the parish priest was also there. Local authorities and other figures attended.
On November 14 1993 the completed Igreja Nova de São Martinho de Bougado was consecrated. The Archbishop Bishop of Porto D. Júlio Tavares Rebimbas dedicated it.
The parishioners funded the high costs of this project. It was not easy but their faith moved mountains and made the work possible.
The Santo Tirso Municipal Council supported the project. They improved access and pedestrian safety on Rua de João Paulo II. They also paved the courtyard with granite cubes and provided sanitation and lighting.
Now let’s step back in time a bit. The original parish church of São Martinho de Bougado stood on this very site. It was described as small and very old. The year 1780 is carved on the facade along with 1916. The latter marks its restoration and expansion.
The person behind the original initiative remains a mystery. Some suggest it was Abbot Inácio Pimentel. The church was opened in 1780. Abbot Manuel Joaquim de Oliveira had been the parish priest for three years at that time.
Like today the original church had a single nave. The main chapel held the altar and a tribune with the tabernacle. To the side were the sacristy on the left and the factory house on the right. Three side altars a pulpit a baptismal font and a choir were in the main body. The altars and window decorations were in the Baroque style.
A tower stood to the side with four bell windows holding three bells. By 1905 two more altars were added in a different style. An organ likely the one now restored in the choir and a clock were also functioning.
You can still see a granite clock face on the west side of the tower. In 1905 the images on either side of the main altar were Saint Martin the parish church’s patron saint and Saint Thomas Aquinas.
There were five altars. Two were added after the temple opened one dedicated to the Heart of Jesus and another to Saint Joseph. These still exist.
In mid-1886 the church building was in ruins. The parish residence next door was also in poor condition. The Parish Council imposed a 65% tax to fund repairs. No parishioners opposed it so the work was done.
In early 1916 the facade began to threaten collapse. It had to be torn down and rebuilt. Father António Gonçalves de Azevedo appealed to his parishioners and they responded.
Besides repairing the facade the church’s capacity was increased. The length was extended and the bell tower remained in its original location. The parish church today has the same dimensions and shape it was given in 1916.
In 1935 the sixth altar was opened. It was dedicated to Our Lady of Fátima and acquired by Father Alberto Pinheiro Machado.
Currently the six altars in the nave are of Christ Crucified the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Fátima on the right side. On the left are Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Conception and Saint Joseph. A niche on this side contains a sculpture of the Virgin with her dead Son.
The Igreja Nova de São Martinho de Bougado stands as a testament to faith community and history. Its walls echo with centuries of prayers and celebrations.