Saint Catherine is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers whose martyrdom is remembered on 25th November. In 1510, Alfanso De Albuquerque defeated the Muslim ruler Adil Shah on 25th November that is on Catherin’s day. He built the chapel of Saint Catherine to commemorate his victory that later was granted cathedral status by Pope Paul III and became St. Catherine church. The exact day of that victory is celebrated in this church as the Feast of Saint Catherine. Located at a distance of 9 km from Panjim in the old Goa, this 16th-century monument is a World Heritage site.
The church is 76 m high and the front side is around 35 m high. This Church was built by Portuguese, and obviously with the Portuguese Manueline style. This is regarded as the largest church in Asia.
The St. Catherine church Goa has a large bell known as Golden Bell which is famous for its strong tone. In the 20th century, the cathedral received a ‘Golden Rose’ from Pope Pius XII as an honorary gift. The rose now can be seen on the tomb of Saint. Francis Xavier, in the cathedral.
Near the altar at St Catherine of Siena church, you can see the 18th century’s organ, which is still in use. You can see a number of paintings on the two sides of the altar. On the right side of the altar, the Chapel of Cross of Miracles could be seen. It is the part of the old church over which the new cathedral was constructed in mid of the 17th century. There is a convent near the cathedral, which is converted into the Archeological Museum where you can find St Cathedral Church Goa detail.
The main entrance of the church has Latin inscriptions of Corinthian columns that describe the history of St. Cathedral Church. You can also find six panels with pictures of Saint Catherine’s life carved on them.
