Feast of St. Francis Xavier

A solemn Christian pilgrimage honouring the patron saint of Goa, with special open-air masses that draw worshippers from around the world.

Saint Francis Xavier died on 3 December 1552, and his incorrupt body is preserved in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. The feast is held in his memory and to seek his blessings.

Large open-air masses are held in the Basilica grounds, and a huge fair springs up around Old Goa selling Goan sweets such as khaje, handicrafts and clothes. Many attend in traditional Western suits and dresses.

During the novenas, holy mass is celebrated each morning in several languages - Konkani, English and Portuguese. On the main day a Grand Mass draws thousands, with a special queue for veneration of the relics.

Goans - Christian and Hindu alike - believe that 'Goencho Saib' protects Goa from natural disasters and epidemics, and that praying at his relics grants one's petitions.

The Jesuit missionary Saint Francis Xavier came to Goa in the 16th century. After his death his body was enshrined in Old Goa, and the feast has been central to Goan life since Portuguese times.

The third of December at Old Goa, centred on the Basilica of Bom Jesus. The queue to the saint's casket runs for hours and the novena leading up to the day fills the whole complex. Come for an evening service rather than the middle of the day.