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The Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina, known as Se Cathedral, is the cathedral of the
Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language onc ...
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Goa and Daman ( la, Archidioecesis Goanae et Damanensis, gom, Gõy ani Damanv Mha-Dhormprant, pt, Arquidiocese de Goa e Damão) encompasses the Goa state and the Damaon territory in the Konkan r ...
and the seat of the
Patriarch of the East Indies The Titular Patriarch of the East Indies ( la, Patriarcha Indiarum Orientalium; for Titular Patriarchate of the East Indies) in the Catholic hierarchy is the title of the Archbishop of Goa and Daman in India; another of his titles is the Prim ...
. It is part of the
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, Churches and convents of Goa located in
Old Goa Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa. Th ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
.


History

The word ''Sé'' is Portuguese for '' See''. The Se Cathedral was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese under
Afonso de Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...
over a Muslim army, leading to the capture of the city of Goa in 1510. Since the day of the victory happened to be on the feast of Saint Catherine, the cathedral was dedicated to her. It was commissioned by Governor George Cabral to be enlarged in 1552 on the remains of an earlier structure. Construction of the church began in 1562 in the reign of King Dom Sebastião. The cathedral was completed in 1619 and was
consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different gro ...
in 1640. It had two towers, but one collapsed in 1776 and was never rebuilt. In 1953, the cathedral was presented with "The Golden Rose" by Venerable Pope Pius XII. The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which the Popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed and conferred as a token of reverence or affection. It is placed on the tomb of St. Francis Xavier. The first Lithuanian
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
,
Andrius Rudamina Andrius Rudamina, S.J. ( la, Andreas Rudamina; pl, Andrzej Rudomina; 1596 – 5 September 1631) was the first Lithuanian Jesuit missionary in China. Early life Andrius Rudamina was born into an old and distinguished Lithuanian noble family in ...
, arrived in India in Goa on 22 August 1625. Almost 400 years later, 2015, a memorial stone bearing Andrius Rudamina's name was erected in the courtyard of Se Cathedral in Old Goa.Monteiro L.
State to unveil memorial to first Lithuanian in India
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Architecture

The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline. The exterior is Tuscan, whereas the interior is Corinthian. The church is in length and in breadth. The frontispiece stands high.


Inside the cathedral

The Se Cathedral's tower houses a large bell known as the "Golden Bell" on account of its rich tone. It is said to be the largest in Goa, and one of the best in the world. The main
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...
is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, and there are several old paintings on either side of it. On the right there is a
Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...
of the Cross of Miracles, where a vision of Christ is said to have appeared in 1619. There are six main panels, on which scenes from the life of Saint Catherine are carved. There is a huge gilded
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for e ...
above the main altar. The Se Cathedral also houses a baptismal font made in 1532 which was used by Saint Francis Xavier in order to baptise several Goan converts.


Gallery

File:Old Goa, Interiors of Se Cathedral 2.jpg, Interior File:Se Cathedral4.JPG, Altar File:SeCathedralAltar.jpg, Altar detail File:Interior of Se Cathedral Old Goa 1.jpg, Interior view towards Reredos File:Sé de Santa Catarina.jpg, Side view File:Old Goa, Se Cathedral 2.jpg, Front view File:Goa-CathedralInterior.jpg, Interior view


See also

*
Basilica of Bom Jesus The Basilica of Bom Jesus ( pt, Basílica do Bom Jesus; Konkani: ''Borea Jezuchi Bajilika'') is a Catholic basilica located in the Goa situated in the Konkan region of India. It is both a pilgrimage centre and also the most iconic monument ...


References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * *


External links


Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, India - Se Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Se Cathedral of Santa Catarina Roman Catholic churches in Old Goa Roman Catholic cathedrals in India Colonial Goa Monuments and memorials in Goa Tourist attractions in North Goa district Roman Catholic churches completed in 1619 1640 establishments in India 1640s establishments in Portuguese India Baroque architecture in India Portuguese colonial architecture in India 1619 establishments in the Portuguese Empire 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in India Roman Catholic churches in Goa