Goa Churches, Church Goa, Church of Goa, Churches in Goa, Churches of Goa, Se Cathedral Church in Goa, Goa Monuments

GOA CHURCHES

To begin with, the most visible legacy of the Portuguese is their churches, not only imposing monuments of old Goa but also more typically white- washed facades nestling among palm trees elsewhere.

Basilica of Bom Jesus The Basilica of Bom Jesus is famous throughout the Roman Catholic world since it contains the tomb and mortal remains of St.Francis Xavier.A red laterite edifice completed in 1605.

Se Cathedral

The cathedral built in purist Tuscan style and is stagerring in proportions. In one chapel is kept the Cross of Miracles, said to grow in size & have healing properties. Heavily gilded central altars depict the martyrdom of Saint Catherine, to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

Convent & Church of St. Francis of Assisi

The beautiful church displays superb decorative paintwork & woodcarving & floor are inlaid with elaborately engraved tombstones depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis. The convent at the back of this church is now the Archaeological Museum.

Church & Convent of St. Monica

This huge, three-storied laterite building was commenced in 1606 and completed in 1627. Once known as the Royal Monastery on account of the royal patronage, which it enjoyed, the building is now used by the Mater dei Institute as a nunnery, which was inaugurated in 1964.

The Church of Mae de Deus -At Saligao Bardez, 13 kms. Built in 1873, is situated amidst picturesque surroundings. The shrine of the miraculous statue of Mae de Deus (Mother of God) was brought from the ruins of the convent of Mae de Deus at Old Goa. This beautiful church is the finest piece of gothic style.

The Church of St. Alex - Curtorim

Nine kilometer from Margao, the Church of St. Alex is one of the oldest churches in Goa, built in 1597.

The Church of our Lady of the Rosary

The Church of our Lady of the Rosary represents a fusion of European and Indian elements; while the wall frescos reveal Hindu designs, those on the alabaster tomb of Dona Catherina, wife of the first Portuguese woman to hazard the long & arduous voyage to the Indies, demonstrate the impact of the Muslim-Bijapur style. Over the years the Portuguese zeal for propagating their religion became rigid & intolerant. Consequently temples were demolished & churches built in their place. It was not until 18th century, when the conqueror’s religious zeal had diminished, that Hindu temples were built in sylvan surroundings.

Driving through Goa’s villages one is struck by the deep imprint of four & a half centuries of Latin Catholicism. Presiding over every village, commanding the heights at hilltops, hugging the shores of rivers, beside fields and dusty roads, and visible for miles around, sparkling white churches, crosses & small shrines indicate Christian ubiquity; religion is never more than a bend away.