Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Velha Goa Body of St. Francis Xavier

Body of St. Francis Xavier

Scholar, adventurer, saint, and instigator of the Goa Inquisition.

Velha Goa, India

Added By
Annetta Black
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Reliquary of St. Francis Xavier   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:File105.jpg
Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Basilica...
  peachycalico / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Tucked in a corner of the party capital of India, the mostly-incorruptible body of Goencho Saib (Lord of Goa), otherwise known as St. Francis Xavier, is on display in the right trancept of the Bom Jesus church in the old Portuguese center of town. The body was originally transported back to Goa in a lime-slake, from which his body miraculously emerged unmolested. He was placed on view in a raised reliquary, with annual festivals, where, up until recently, pilgrims had the opportunity to kiss the exposed, miraculously mummified feet of the saint. The open air was hard on the body, and religious zeal for the relic has taken its toll as well. Reportedly in 1554 an overzealous worshipper bit off the the pinky toe of his right foot, which then purportedly gushed blood as if from a living body. Later, in 1614, by order of the church, his right arm was severed at the elbow and brought to Rome.

Born in the Xavier Castle in the Navarre region of what is now Spain in 1506, Francis Xavier began his adult life as a scholar in France, then found god and companionship in the formation of the Jesuit order. He traveled and preached in Italy, and then came to Goa as a missionary in 1541. He cared for the ill in the Royal hospital, and preached in the streets for the conversion and salvation of Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim souls.Portuguese controlled Goa's anti-Hindu laws offered civil protections only to Hindus who were baptized and attended certain church services which criticized their previous faith. Many Jewish Portuguese had fled to the colonies to avoid the persecution of the Inquisition at home, and in Xavier's time they saw their religious freedoms dwindle.

In 1545, Xavier wrote to the Pope, requesting that the Inquisition be formally instituted in Goa.

While he waited for a reply, he took to the seas, sailing to Cochin, the Malabar coast, Tamil Nadu, and as far as Malacca and Japan. The miracles attributed to him took place during these journeys, where he allegedly turned casks of sea water into fresh water for sailors, and brought a boy back to life after he had fallen overboard. He fell ill and died in 1552 on the island of Sancian while waiting for permission to enter China.

After his death, the inquisition did come to Goa in 1560, in a violent and deadly form. Voltaire wrote, "Goa is sadly famous for its inquisition, which is contrary to humanity as much as to commerce. The Portuguese monks deluded us into believing that the Indian populace was worshiping the Devil, while it is they who served him."

The Goa Inquisition did not formally end until 1812. Since most of the records were destroyed when it was outlawed, it is not known exactly how many people were tried and/or killed, but an estimated 16,000 people were put on trial for relapsing into non-Christian faiths, with unknown numbers killed outright.

The annual non-feet kissing Saints Day festival is annually on Dec 3, and is a time of more festiveness than normal in the already festive Goa area.

The basilica is now a World Heritage Monument.

Related Tags

Relics And Reliquaries

Know Before You Go

Local transport to Old Goa from Panaji

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

Vivek Gadre, peachycalico

  • Vivek Gadre
  • peachycalico

Published

September 21, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://chronicleofameanderingtraveller.blogspot.com/2006/01/st-francis-xavier-history-of-his.html
  • http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Francis_Xavier
  • http://www.cin.org/franxav.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Bom_Jesus
Body of St. Francis Xavier
National Hwy 4A Bypass Rd
Velha Goa, 403402
India
15.500824, 73.911406
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Old Goa Cemetery

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Collection of Old Engraved Stones

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Casa de Polvora Millstones

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Velha Goa

Velha Goa

India

Places 21

Nearby Places

Old Goa Cemetery

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Collection of Old Engraved Stones

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Casa de Polvora Millstones

Velha Goa, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Velha Goa

Velha Goa

India

Places 21

Related Places

  • One of the skeletons at St. Martins Church

    Aulendorf, Germany

    Skeletons of St. Martin Church

    Two elaborately decorated "catacomb saints" are displayed on either side of the altar in a small church in Germany.

  • Naples, Italy

    Church of Santa Maria la Nova

    Does this church in Naples hold the true tomb of Vlad the Impaler, the notoriously cruel figure who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula?

  • Three Kings Reliquary

    Cologne, Germany

    Shrine of the Three Kings

    The bones of the Biblical Magi traveled to Constantinople and Milan before landing in their current home inside an elaborate golden reliquary in the Cologne Cathedral.

  • Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

    Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

    Buddha's Tooth Relic

    At a museum dedicated to the millenia-old rites and art of Buddhism, the Buddha's reputed tooth is held as an object of worship.

  • In here, it’s forever Holy Week.

    Seville, Spain

    Bar Garlochí

    Drink the 'Blood of Christ' in this Roman Catholic fever dream.

  • Golden Buddha sits in on a marble pedestal.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Golden Buddha of Wat Traimit

    This enormous gold Buddha statue was hidden inside a stucco decoy for centuries.

  • Velha Goa, India

    Museum of Christian Art

    Located within a 17th-century convent, this museum features centuries-old Christian art pieces that meld European and Asian influences.

  • Saint Valentine’s Basilica in Terni, the City of Lovers.

    Terni, Italy

    Basilica of St. Valentine

    Terni calls itself the "City of Lovers" and celebrates its links to Saint Valentine on February 14th—but is it the right Saint Valentine?

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.