Basilica of Bom Jesus
Leaving the train at the port of Marmagao, they went by boat to Panjim, where they stayed in a hotel owned by Christians. At Panjim, and in the town of Old Goa, they saw various Portuguese churches and other Christian landmarks. The most important church they visited was the Good Jesus Basilica – which contains the body of Francis Xavier who is revered as a saint. The mummified body of the Jesuit priest and missionary has been preserved since the 16th century and is still displayed to the public once every few years. Goa is one of the few areas in India that is predominantly Christian, and this basilica is considered the most important place of Catholic pilgrimage in India. Baba made an extensive tour of the elaborate church, even climbing the dark stairs to the high dome.
After staying in Goa for only three days, Baba decided to return to Bombay, instead of venturing southward. In Bombay, he again stayed at Irani Mansion in Dadar.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus) is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule.
'Bom Jesus' (literally, 'Good (or Holy) Jesus') is the name used for the infant Jesus. The Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.
Construction work on the church began in 1594 and the church was consecrated in May 1605 by the archbishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes. This world heritage monument has emerged as a landmark in the history of Christianity. It contains the body of St. Francis Xavier, a very close friend of St. Ignatius Loyola with whom he founded the Society of Jesus, the (Jesuits). Francis Xavier died on Sancian Island while en route to continental China on (December 2, 1552).
The body of Francis Xavier was first taken to Portuguese Malacca and two years later shipped back to Goa. It is said that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried. Although some critics suggest this is the body of Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera a renowned Buddhist monk whose incorrupt body was smuggled by the Portuguese from the remote village of Ambana in Sri Lanka. The remains of the saint still attract a huge number of devotees (Christian and non-Christian alike) from all over the world, especially during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in 2004). The saint is said to have miraculous powers of healing.
This is one of the oldest churches in Goa, as well as in India. The floor is of marble inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is simple. The church also holds paintings of scenes taken from the life of St. Francis Xavier. The mausoleum, on the top of which is placed the silver casket with the body of St. Francis Xavier (1696), was the gift of the last of the Medicis, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The mausoleum was designed by the 17th-century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini. It took ten years to complete. The casket containing his body is made of silver. The holy relics of the saint are displayed every ten years during the anniversary of the saint's death. His liturgical feast is the third of December.
Author and fellow Jesuit Anthony De Mello was also from Goa and does mention the basilica in his writings.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is more than 408 years old and is open to the public everyday. The body of St. Francis Xavier is kept in a well-decorated casket, which can be seen in the photographs below. Solemn exhibitions of the 'body' are held every ten years. Some photos taken inside the church are attached for better understanding of the art work of that time. These art works are called "murals".