The Basilica of Bom Jesus, “Good” or “Infant” Jesus, is a Catholic basilica in Goa, India. It is best known for housing the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to India and Japan.
One of the richest churches in Goa, the Basilica of Bom Jesus is covered with marble and inlaid with precious stones and paintings depicting the life of St. Francis Xavier. The basilica is considered the finest example of baroque architecture in India.
For Catholics, the chief importance of the Basilica of Bom Jesus is that it shelters the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis’s body was brought to Goa almost 150 years after his death. It was a gift from Medici, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. It now lies in an airtight glass coffin, placed inside a silver casket fashioned by a 17th century Florentine jeweler.
In 1946, the Basilica of Bom Jesus became the first church of India to be elevated to the status of Minor Basilica.
The chapel attracts large numbers of visitors every year.
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