The sunshine state houses his relics, and is the reason for many people making their annual pilgrimage there. Photos Courtesy: File pics
St Francis Xavier
The feast of St Francis Xavier is celebrated with great devotion in Goa on December 3, apart from other parts of the country every year, to commemorate the day he died in 1552.
The saint was beatified by Pope Paul V on October 25 in 1619 and canonised by Pope Gregory XV on March 12 in 1622, and is hugely credited to promoting Christianity in Goa, which was the capital of Portuguese India at the time
Connection with Goa
Within the serene and vibrant landscape of Goa stands the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the final resting place of St. Francis Xavier's holy relics, in Old Goa.
The 470-year-old mortal remains, or relics, as they are more popularly called, is enshrined in a tomb carved by Italian sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini
The saint, who was born in Spanish nobility, was called "Apostle of the Indies"
Decennial exposition
Every ten years, Goa celebrates the saint with spiritual fervour as the decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, affectionately called "Gõycho Saib"
Last year was the 18th exposition of the relics that took from November 21 to January 5 in 2025.
Through the exposition, devotees and pilgrims are invited to honour Saint Francis Xavier and seek his intercession for blessings and spiritual healing
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa houses the revered silver Mastrillian casket, a masterpiece crafted four centuries ago.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the basilica holds profound historical significance as one of India's oldest churches
Connection to Vasai in Mumbai
Sequeira Brothers from Vasai's Giriz village have intricately recreated the tomb on which the casket that laid when it is ceremoniously moved from the Basilica to the nearby Se Cathedral during the exposition.
Known for many other works not only in Mumbai but across the world, they reveal in an earlier interview with mid-day that they were contacted by parish priest Fr Adrian Furtado, who is also the brains behind the blueprint of the cart
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