Basilica of Bom Jesus (Cathedral of the Good Jesus)

Frommer's Review

Opposite the Sé, the Basilica of Bom was built between 1594 and 1605 as a resting place for the remains of the patron saint of Goa, Francis Xavier (one of the original seven founders of the Jesuit order and responsible for most of the 16th-c. conversions). The withered body of the venerated saint lies in a silver casket to the right of the altar, his corpse surprisingly well-preserved (although one arm is on display in Rome and a missing toe is believed to have been bitten off in 1634 by an overzealous devotee looking to take home her very own relic, during the first exposition of the body -- now a decennial event; the next St. Francis Festival is incidentally in 2017).

Up the hill from the Basilica are the splendid ruins of the once awe-inspiring Church of St. Augustine; below is the Church and Convent of Santa Monica and Chapel of the Weeping Cross, where a miraculous image of the crucified Christ is said to have once regularly bled, spoken, and opened its eyes.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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