ortho158
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# Posted: 20 Jan 07 09:58 - Edited by: ortho158
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St Francis Xavier is considered by the Church as having converted more people to Christianity than anybody else, since St Paul. He is the founder of the Order of the Jesuits. He lived in the 16th century, and went as far as India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the Philippines, Japan and China. He died there, and his body was transported to Goa, in India. For some unknown reason, his body did not decay, and it can still be seen in the Bom Jesus Basilica in Goa. The body is intact, except for the right arm, which was severed and kept as relics in two places, and a toe which was bitten off by a woman in the 18th century. The body is exposed every 10 years, during one month. We happened to be in Goa at such a time (december 1984), and the pics were taken then.
The first two show the basilica, with the queue of pilgrims. We were rather embarrassed to be allowed, as foreigners, to bypass the queue.
And here, a bus of students on an excursion there.
It's rather strange to find huge catholic churches in the jungle; it's a more normal place for Hindu temples, such as this one, not far away.
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