Se Cathedral is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa. It is one of the largest churches in Asia and it took eighty years to get completed. It is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria and is located in Old Goa. Se cathedral has been declared a heritage site by UNESCO. It took almost three-fourths of a century to build the church. The cathedral was built by the Portuguese Government.
The church measures 35.36 m height on the facade, 76.2 m long and 55.16 m wide. It has been built on a raised plinth of laterite that has been covered with lime-plaster. There are eight chapels apart from the main altar. There is a long nave, two aisles and a transept. On the southern side of the facade a bell tower is visible. It is plain building but the interior represents like a cruciform layout. In has been built in Portuguese-Gothic style. The exterior of the building is Tuscan and the interior Corinthian. A tower was earlier present on the northern side of the facade that collapsed in 1776. The bell that can be seen in the existing tower is also known as the `Golden Bell.`
The main entrance in the facade has Corinthian columns. These support a pediment that has inscription in Latin carved on them. According to the inscription during the reign of King Dom Sebastiao (AD 1557-1578), the Cathedral was ordered to be erected in the year 1592. The Archbishops and the primates were to be the administrators. There are two marble basins that have been made inside the two columns supporting the choir. These house the statues of St. Francis Xavier. On the right hand side there is a chamber containing the baptismal font made in 1532. A large painting of St. Christopher is hung beneath the choir. There are four chapels on the left hand side. These are dedicated to Our Lady of Virtues, St. Sebastian, the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Life. On the right side again there are four chapels that are dedicated to St. Anthony, St. Bernard, the Cross of Miracles and the Holy Ghost. In the transept are six altars, three on either side of the main altar.
The altars on the right side are of Our Lady of Doloures St. Anna and St. Peter. Those on the left are of Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Three Necessities and Our Lady of Hope. The arches that surmount these four altars have been embellished with beautiful paintings that depict various instances from the lives of the saints.
Among the eight altars the main altar is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The wooden statues of St. Paul and St. Peter have been installed in a niche on either side of the nave. A gallery is also visible near the altar. It houses eighteenth century organ. There are seats for the canon and a throne for the Archbishop in the nave. There is also a richly-carved ebony stand that has been brought from Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Another church has been erected on the right hand side. It is a replica of St. Peter`s Church in Rome. The church also has paintings depicting instances from the life of St. Catherine.
Conservation of Se Cathedral
Se Cathedral has been repaired and renovated several times by ASI`s Mini Circle, Goa. The structure was repaired with seasoned lateritc stones in combination mortar. Laterite stones were used to repair the northern bell tower. Teakwood doors and windows were fixed to the ancillary structure. The decorated pillar base mouldings were re-plastered. The decayed wooden beams, rafters and ceiling planks of the roof above the main altar on the north-west were replaced. The wooden ceiling was also replaced. The church thus looks very appealing and is visited by many people.
