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| Tomb Of St. Francis Xavier |
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History
The tomb of the reverend saint, St. Francis Xavier, lies in the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church in Old Goa, which is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. It attracts tourists from around the world as the church contains the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier who was a disciple of saint Ignatius of Loyola. Saint Francis was a revolutionary Christian missionary and one of the founders of the Society of Jesus. Under his initiative, Catholicism spread rapidly and many people adopted the faith. His aim was to spread Christianity in China but he died during the voyage on 2nd December 1552.
St. Francis Xavier was known to be a magical healer, as he was said to have a gift of God, to cure not only physical but also mental sufferings of man. Another popular encounter was that after about a year when his body was shipped back to Goa, it was found that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried. This miraculous phenomenon attracts huge number of devotees from all over the world.
The Tomb of St. Francis Xavier, Goa, was the gift from Medici, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The tomb that we now see was carved by a Florentine architect Giovanni Batista Foggini and it took 10 years to be completed. His body was kept in a glass container encased in a silver casket on 2nd December 1637. The casket is a rare blend of Italian and Indian arts made of 32 silver plates. The speciality of the casket is that the 32 silver plates on the four sides of the casket depict different episodes from the life of the Saint like he resuscitates a boy who died in a well, he sweetens the sea water to name a few. On the top of this casket there is a cross with two angels. One is holding a burning heart and the other a legend which says ‘Satis est - Domine, Satis est’ (It's enough Lord, it's enough).
The tomb of St. Francis Xavier has three parts, namely, the altar, the Florentine mausoleum offered by Cosimo III, and the silver casket made by the Goan silversmiths. The church is one of the richest churches in Goa and is carpeted with marble flooring and inlaid with precious stones. The basilica displays the sacred body of the saint in every 10 years, during the anniversary of his death. The feast is organised on 3rd December every year. A visit to the tomb is the best way to connect with your spiritual past!
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Best time to visit
The best time to visit the Tomb is during the Feast of St. Francis of Xavier held on 3rd December every year as the holy relics of the saint are displayed every 10 years during the anniversary of the Saint's death.
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Trivia
The right arm of St. Francis Xavier by which he used to baptize his converts, was detached and is now placed in The Church of the Gesù in Rome.
It was the wish of the Saint that after his death, his mortal remains should to be laid in Goa.
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Timing
The timings to see the holy remains of the saint are not fixed and may change after every ten years but the timings of the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church are from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm on Sundays.
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