Anu and Karishma at the Church of St Cajetan, Old Goa
Basilica do Bom Jesus, Old Goa, where the body of St Francis Xavier is kept
St Francis Xavier was one of the missionaries who founded the Jesuit movement. The Jesuits are famous for being one of the earliest organizations to spread Christianity to East Asia (in the 16th Century). They were the first missionaries to venture into Japan and Borneo, among other places. St Francis Xavier died from a fever on an island off the coast of South China during one of his missions. He was buried on a beach on the island. When they exhumed his body after about 3 months to be transferred to a more permanent place, they found that the body had not decayed. His body was then transferred to Malacca (which was under Portuguese rule at the time) and kept there for about a year before being transferred permanently to Old Goa where his incorruptible body is still kept. While the body is incorruptible, many parts of his body have since been removed as relics and are now spread all over the world. Nope, we’re not allowed to see the body, only the casket, but I’ve heard that the church offers the body for public viewing once every ten years. And no, I don’t know when that is.
Church of St Francis of Assisi (this is a different St Francis from St Francis Xavier)
Interior of the Church of St Cajetan
Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus opposite the Se Cathedral, Old Goa
Church of St Francis Xavier of Assisi from the main Old Goa road
Little terrifier, in Old Goa
Basilica do Bom Jesus from different angles
Interior, Basilica do Bom Jesus
The Casket of St Francis Xavier
