the monastery was later acquired by the archbishop of goa as a summer residence in 1878 at one point of time unable to bear the maintenance of the monastery the then government had ordered it to be demolished after the meeting mother mary left the pillar as a symbol of strength to st james a newlyordained priest at rachol fr aurelio agostinho terrath from cochin was appointed to give company to the lone carmelite friar cirilo in 1633 a university of science arts and theology based on the european system of education was established in the precincts of the monastery but the monastery became a home for cattle and poisonous snakes from 1835 a hindu man was allowed to lease the garden and keep his cattle in the edifice the archbishop handed over the pilar monastery to the pilar fathers in 1890 pilar fathers was a spontaneous name pilache padri fathers from pilar monastery who reached out in service to the people of goa when the carmelites took possession the monastery was a stable and the gardens turned into jungles after the death of venerable father agnelo dsouza only one priest survived the archbishop of goa being aware of the situation requested the government to allow the pilar monastery to be used as his summer residence from 1878 in 1854 11 goan friars of the suppressed order of discalced carmelites of chimbel obtained permission from the government to reside in the deteriorating monastery built in 1613 the pilar monastery was home to spanish monks goan carmelite friars and now pilar fathers cirilo was a very pious monk who continued to ring the bell of the monastery as if the community existed on july 17 the pilar monastery completes 400 years with a fascinating story how did the story begin when the pilar monastery was abundant in 1835 the gardens were leased to a hindu man due to the site of cobras and pythons people refused to even work at the monastery it was only in 1939 the pilar society was reorganized and a fresh lease of life infused in the dying society the spanish missionaries of the reformed franciscan recollects capuchos of the custody of the mother built the pilar monastery in 1613 the government of the time constantly harassed the carmelite monks as they were not allowed to come out in religious habits the vibrant religious favour faded in 1835 when the religious orders were banned in goa the monks from the monastery had to leave for europe pilar gets its name from the patroness of the monastery our lady of pilar a devotion that began in zaragoza spain and today to preserve it for posterity the pilar society has undertaken massive restoration works without cement in lines with the ageold style of lime mortar but the carmelite monks were not allowed to admit any more members as the other carmelite monks died only one monk fr cirilo da anunciacao remained in the monastery hence the saying