The trip over to Old Goa was a really interesting one. In a late ’40’s or early ’50’s bus. A straight section of road, remarkebly with no shops either side. That’s because there was water. Road is a simple 2 way, just 2 lane wide with narrow shoulders and a constant flow of traffic, both ways. These buses will outperform most current Porsches. After overtaking motorbike after motorbike, the bus we’re in decides it’s overtake time of a similar bus. How do you do that with a constant stream you ask? EASY, you just wait until the oncoming traffic is only motorbikes, then out you pull & nail it. The bus were overtaking moves left till his wheels are just not in the dirt, a max of 6-8″ between the buses and all the bikes just slow, run off, to the outer edge of the shoulder and keep it nailed till you pass, without consideration of change. 3 more times we did that in about a 10k stretch. Then comes the windy, shop lined roads. I dunno which screamed louder, the horn before & through every corner or the brakes, which I’m certain the rears (where I was sitting) were metal on metal. A great idea really, it saves wearing out new brake lining! The supremely reassuring point was there was 30 feet of bus in front of me to act as crumple zone.
TBH, I’ve watched Truck racing comps these guys would smash! Get to a random stop and the conductor tips me out and points in the direction we’re travelling. Perfect, just a few hundred meters up and I see this building and St Francis of Assisi & SE Cathedral. By the time I’d reached the church, the sweat was dripping in my eyes.
Once you wipe the sweat out, the building before you is a wonder to behold. A building of more than 400 years standing and not a crack of any size wirth noting. When you look at the cavernous interior and construction complexity, I’d love those that built it to come back and run courses for our current construction crews.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus; Konkani: Borea Jezuchi Bajilika) is a Catholic basilica located in Goa, in the Konkan region of India. The iconic church is a pilgrimage centre and recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The basilica is located in Old Goa, the former capital of Portuguese India, and holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier.
Bom Jesus (meaning, “Good/ Infant Jesus” in Portuguese) is the name used for the Ecce Homo in countries of the Lusosphere. This Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture and Portuguese colonial architecture in India. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.
Pope Pius XII raised this sanctuary to the status of basilica via the Pontifical decree “Priscam Goae” on 20 March 1946. The decree was signed and notarized by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini.
History
Construction work on the church began in 1594. 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, Chuandao (川島鎮), Taishan while en route to continental China on 3 December 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.[4] The remains of the saint still attract a huge number of tourists (Christian and non-Christian alike) from all over the world, especially during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in December 2024). The saint is said to have miraculous powers of healing.
The church is one of the oldest in Goa and 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 main altar holds a large statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Ignatius was one of Francis Xavier’s closest companions, whose words drew him to a reformed life when Ignatius asked Francis, “What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”