The arches accommodating four of these altars are decorated
with paintings depicting scenes from the lives of the saints.
The main altar is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria.
The richly gilded panel shows the martyrdom of the saint.
On either side of the nave is a niche in which are kept
the wooden statues of St. Paul and St. Peter.
To the right is a door that leads to the sacristy, which
is a barrel - vaulted structure with gilded altar showing
a church modelled after St. Peter's Church in Rome. There
are also paintings depicting scenes from the life of St.
Catherine, besides chests of drawers containing various
robes worn on ceremonial occasions.
The Convent and Church Of St. Francis
of Assisi
To the west of the Se Cathedral is the former palace of
the Archbishop that connects the Se Cathedral to the Convent
and Church of St. Francis of Assisi. The structure is built
of laterite blocks and is lime-plastered. The church faces
west and has a nave with three chapels on its sides, a choir,
two altars in the transept and a main altar. To the north
of the main altar are a belfry and a sacristy. The convent,
which forms an annexure to the church, now houses the Archaeological
Museum.
The tabernacle was used for displaying the holy sacrament.
Above the tabernacle, in the main altar, is a large statue
of St. Francis of Assisi and an equally large statue of
Jesus on the cross. Beneath the two figures are inscribed
the three vows of the Saint - poverty, humility and obedience.
On either side of the main altar, in the nave, are beautiful
large paintings on wood, depicting scenes from the life
of St. Francis of Assai.
The scenes include:
-
an angel revealing to his mother that
she would beget a child who would become a great saint
-
His birth
-
His first anointment
-
Praying at the church of St. Dominica
when Jesus commands him to support his kingdom.
-
The saint taking the oath and joining
the Dominican odder.
-
His visit to the Sultan of Damascus.
-
The saint showing his wounds to Pope
Gregory IX. In the first floor on the western side, is
the choir, which has amidst carved wooden panels, portrait
from Franciscan hagiology.
The Professed House and the Basilica of Bom Jesus
Immediately to the south of the main road is the Professed
House, a two-storeyed laterite building covered with lime
plaster. Despite the opposition, which the Jesuits faced,
the building was completed in 1585. A part of the building
was accidentally burnt down in 1663 and was rebuilt in 1783.
The Church of Bom Jesus is also of laterite; its exterior,
excepting the façade, was lime plastered, which was
subsequently removed. The roof was originally tiled. The
church is cruciform on plan. The flying buttresses on the
northern side of the church are recent additions. A single-storeyed
structure adjoining the church on its southern wing connects
it with the professed house.
The Church enshrines the miraculously preserved remains
of St. Francis Xavier - displayed in an exquisitely crafted
silver casket resting on a multihued Italian marble base.
The rectangular base of the tomb is of jasper of reddish
and purple colours decorated with carvings in white marble.
Above the basement is another rectangular mass of slightly
lesser dimensions having a plaque in bronze on each of its
four sides depicting the scenes from the life of the saint,
and two cherubs holding scrolls.
The four bronze plaques on the four sides show respectively,
Xavier preaching to the people of Moluccas, holding aloft
the Crucifix and baptizing the natives, swimming away to
safety escaping from the wild natives of the island of Morro
and dying in the island of Sancian off the coast of China.
A beautiful silver statue is kept in front of the casket.
The silver casket, which serves as a reliquary containing
the sacred relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier, is
exquisitely carved, and was once studded with precious stones.
The casket is divided on each side into seven panels, each
of which has two plates representing in relief important
incidents in the life of the saint.
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