Construction of Basilica of Bom Jesus (15 May 1605)

church in Velha Goa, India

History

Construction work on the church began in 1594. The church was consecrated in May 1605 by the archbishop, Aleixo de Menezes. This world heritage monument has emerged as a landmark in the history of Christianity. It contains the Catholic saint Francis Xavier's body.

The Basilica and its outbuildings were the venue for the 2nd National Eucharistic Congress whose attendees included the Bishop of Dhaka, Peter Joseph Hurth.

Architectural historian Vishvesh Prabhakar Kandolkar's 2025 book Goa's Bom Jesus as Visual Culture: The Basilica's Architecture, Image, History and Identity chronicles the long history of this church. As Kandolkar and others note, the church is in need of significant intervention to maintain its structural upkeep.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Basilica of Bom Jesus”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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History

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History