The Church atop Ganxim Hill (now popularly known as Mt Batim) was deserted since the infamous plague that struck the region more than 200 years ago. The Church and cemetery stood lonely and rejected -utterly isolated for over 200 yrs. The Church was exposed to nature's elements. The roof was beginning to give way, the timber deteriorated and creepers and wild plants began to grow inside. When the plague came to Ganxim, it devastated a way of life, sweeping away the pattern of centuries, destroying the families that lived there. The mountaintop laid barren - devoid of body, soul and spirit.

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It was Fr Pedro Franscisco Pereira from Betalbatim who was instrumental in reviving and renovating the Ganxim Church with help from the locals and the Holy See (as can be seen from the plaques in the Church). He was also helped by Fr Inacio Mariano do Rosario of Pilar. After completion of the restoration work, the Holy Mass was celebrated on June 3rd, 1973 and thereafter on every first Thursday of the month. The locals recall that Fr. Pereira would frequently say that Ganxim would one day be a place of pilgrimage