The See Cathedral, or Sé Catedral, is situated on the banks of the River Mandovi in Old Goa, is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria and its feast is celebrated on November 25.
Every Cathedral is the official church of the Bishop, because it contains the Cathedra (seat) of the Bishop. Some Cathedrals have a Chapter of Canons. The Cathedral at Old Goa is the only one in Asia which has a Cathedral Chapter. Almost all Cathedrals are also Parish Churches, as they are the Mother Churches in their diocese.
THE ORIGIN
The original church was built in 1510 and it was dedicated to St Catherine since it was on her feast day that Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese Governor, conquered Goa from the Muslims on his second attempt. In 1515, this structure was demolished and a new church was constructed in 1531.
STATUS AS CATHEDRAL
On November 3, 1534, Pope Paul III created the Diocese of Goa through the Bull Aequum Reputamus, thus elevating the church to cathedral status. Its first bishop, Fr João Afonso de Albuquerque, inaugurated it on March 25, 1539, the day of his arrival in Goa.
When the diocese was raised to an Archdiocese on February 4, 1557, the idea came to construct a new and grand edifice. The original structure stood near the river, close to the Royal Hospital, where the chapel of St Catherine still stands today.
Construction of the new cathedral began in 1562 under chief engineer Júlio Simão. It took 57 years to complete due to financial constraints, finishing in 1619 with eight side altars.
According to tradition, Archbishop Dom Frei Sebastião de S. Pedro (1626-1629) is believed to have consecrated the cathedral in 1628, but since there was no authentic proof of this, the cathedral was consecrated again on February 6, 1898 by Dom Mateus de Oliveira Xavier, the then Archbishop of Cochin.
THE CHURCH
The length of the façade of the church is 250 feet, the breadth is 180 feet and its height is 120 feet. A cross crowns the façade. Its exterior combines Tuscan and Doric styles, with three large portals. Above the main door are papal symbols—a tiara and two keys—along with an inscription recording its foundation. Originally, the church had two towers; the northern tower collapsed in 1775 (some say 1776) either due to lightning or lack of maintenance and was never rebuilt. The southern tower houses five bells, including the famed “Golden Bell” cast in Cuncolim in 1652. It was so named because gold was said to have been mixed into its metal for a purer tone.
Inside, the cathedral features a vaulted ceiling with a nave and two aisles. At the entrance are two marble holy water basins, one flanked by statues of St Francis Xavier and the other of St Ignatius of Loyola. To the right stands an octagonal black stone baptismal font, dated 1532, inscribed with the name of Jorge Gomes, its donor. Nearby hangs a painting of St Christopher carrying the Infant Jesus. Opposite the cathedral stands a large statue of Christ the King.
THE ALTARS
The Cathedral has 15 altars. The main altar in the sanctuary is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, surrounded by four panels depicting scenes from her life.
In the transept are six altars. On the southern side are altars dedicated to Our Lady of Anguish, St Joseph, Nossa Senhora de Necessidades (Our Lady of Necessities) and Our Lady of Hope; on the northern side to St Paul, Our Lady of Holy Sorrows, Our Lady of Consolation and St Anne. The relics of the Blessed Martyrs of Cuncolim have been kept on St Anne’s altar since 1907.
The northern chapels include those of the Cruz de Milagres, which houses the Miraculous Growing Cross transferred here in 1845 from the Oratorian Church of St Philip Neri, St Bernard and St Anthony. The southern chapels are dedicated to St Joseph, St Sebastian, Our Lady of Seven Virtues and the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is particularly spacious and elegant, with its own vestry. It has six altars—three on each side—dedicated to St Joseph, Nossa Senhora das Bores, St Peter, Nossa Senhora de Angústia, St George, and Nossa Senhora de Esperança.
Three niches in the central portion hold statues of St Catherine, Nossa Senhora da Assunção and the Crucified Christ. Four engravings depict St Catherine’s martyrdom. On either side of the choir are seats for the canons, while the Archbishop’s throne stands on the Gospel side, with its canopy lowered when the archiepiscopal seat is vacant.
