Se Cathedral

Se Cathedral is one of the key Goa attractions in the UNESCO-listed Old Goa complex. Here are its timings, mass schedule, dress code and history.

Se Cathedral stands on the west side of the great square in Old Goa, facing the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Goa Tourism calls it the largest church in Asia; it was built between 1562 and 1652 and is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Goa. It was raised to commemorate Afonso de Albuquerque's capture of Goa on the feast day of St Catherine of Alexandria, to whom it is dedicated.

The building measures about 250 ft long and 181 ft wide, with a frontispiece 115 ft high; it is Portuguese-Manueline outside and Corinthian inside, with a cruciform plan, eight chapels along the nave and six altars in the transept. Highlights include a baptismal font from 1532 said to have been used by St Francis Xavier, a gilded reredos showing scenes from St Catherine's life, and the Chapel of the Cross of Miracles, associated with a vision of Christ reported in 1919.

The adjoining convent has been converted into an archaeological museum. The cathedral forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Churches and Convents of Goa'. No entry ticket is reported for the cathedral, but a modest dress code is enforced – visitors in shorts or sleeveless tops may be asked to cover up. It is easily combined with Bom Jesus and the Church of St Francis of Assisi on a single visit.