Igreja de Santa Maria Maior (Socorro)

"Formerly known as Santa Maria do Calhau, and today as Santa Maria Maior, or simply Santa Maria, or even the parish of Socorro, it is, without a doubt, the oldest parish on the island of Madeira. The original chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição was known as Conceição de Baixo, in contrast to the church of Conceição de Cima, later called the church of Santa Clara. With the creation of the Sé church, the vicar Fr. Nuno Cão transferred the parish offices to the new temple in 1508, extinguishing the parish of Nossa Senhora do Calhau. However, the growth of the population determined that Bishop Fr. Jorge de Lemos re-established it, in accordance with a royal decree of November 1577. The church was a collegiate church and had six benefactors, a treasurer, an organist, a preacher, in addition to the vicar and a priest (created on 27 August 1589). The flood of 1803 destroyed the church of Nossa Senhora do Calhau, and the parish was then established in the church of São Tiago Menor, the city's patron saint. It should be noted that in the flood of 1601 the oldest books of this parish had already disappeared. The current parish church, completed in 1768, is dedicated to São Tiago Menor but is also known as the church of Socorro. Its construction was the result of an initiative by the Funchal City Council."