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Feast of St Francis Xavier in Old Goa: novena, feast day, how to get there
Dawn Masses and a crowd between a red basilica and a white cathedral
The Feast of St Francis Xavier is Goa's largest religious gathering: nine evenings of novena Masses at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, where the saint's relics lie, then on 3 December Masses from before dawn and a congregation of tens of thousands between the basilica and Se Cathedral. In 2026 the novena runs from 24 November and the feast falls on Thursday 3 December, a Goa public holiday. Everything is free, and the hardest part of the day is getting into Old Goa, not finding a seat.
Fixed by the church calendar; the Archdiocese of Goa publishes the novena and Mass timetable in November, and the Goa government issues an advisory for pilgrims.
Where to celebrate
What you see
Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary who died off the coast of China in 1552; his body was brought to Goa, and his relics rest in a silver casket in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Goans call him Goencho Saib, the Lord of Goa, and the feast is the day the whole state seems to come to him.
The novena runs for nine days before the feast, from 24 November: Masses through the day at the basilica, the evening ones the fullest, and a fair spreading over the grounds of Old Goa. It is the gentler time to come.
On 3 December itself Masses start in the small hours (at 3:45 am in 2024) and run in several languages all day. The festive high Mass, at 10:30 in recent years, is celebrated in the open on the grounds between the red laterite basilica and the white Se Cathedral, both part of the UNESCO-listed Churches and Convents of Goa. By then the lawn is packed edge to edge, and a queue of pilgrims moves slowly past the tomb.
About every ten years the relics are brought down for public veneration in an Exposition; the eighteenth ran from November 2024 to January 2025, so an ordinary feast is expected in 2026 and 2027.
👣 Getting to Old Goa on feast days
Old Goa is about 10 km from Panaji. During the novena and on the feast day the district magistrate's traffic order closes the church precinct to vehicles; the arrangements below are from 2025 and are reissued each November.
- Take the special bus
Special buses run from Panaji via Ribandar to a bus stand at the edge of Old Goa. Do not plan to drive in on 3 December.
- If you drive or ride
Cars and two-wheelers are sent to designated parking grounds outside the precinct, and the last stretch is on foot.
- By train
Karmali station is about 3 km from the basilica.
✅ Etiquette and practical tips
Visitors of every faith come to the feast. It is still a pilgrimage, and the pilgrims set the tone.
- Come early — For the 10:30 Mass the grounds fill well before the start. Arriving by 8–9 am, or going to an early Mass, is the calmer way.
- Dress for church — Covered shoulders and knees inside the basilica and the cathedral.
- At the tomb — The queue past the relics moves slowly and quietly. Keep phones down and do not stop for photos in the line.
- Sun and water — The high Mass is outdoors and early December days are warm. Bring water, a hat and something to sit on.
👣 Booking ahead
Early December is Goa's high season, and the feast brings pilgrims from across India on top of it.
- Room in Panaji, two months ahead
Old Goa has little to stay in; Panaji is 10 km away with the special buses. Book about two months ahead.
- Trains and flights
Buy train tickets when sales open, 60 days out, and book flights early.
- Arrive two days ahead
Come at least two days before the feast, see an evening of the novena and the fair, and stay the night before 3 December so you can reach Old Goa early.
- Pair it
The Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Panaji follows on 8 December.
❓ FAQ
When is the Feast of St Francis Xavier in 2026 and 2027?
On 3 December in both years: a Thursday in 2026, after a novena from 24 November, and a Friday in 2027. When 3 December falls on a Sunday the feast moves to 4 December, as it will in 2028.
Where is the feast celebrated?
In Old Goa, at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, where the saint's relics lie, and on the grounds between the basilica and Se Cathedral, about 10 km from Panaji. Details: [Feast of St Francis Xavier in Goa](/en/festivals/feast-st-francis-xavier/goa/).
Can non-Catholics attend?
Yes. The Masses, the novena and the fair are free and open to everyone; dress modestly and keep quiet near the tomb.
Can you see the body of St Francis Xavier?
On ordinary days the relics rest in their silver casket in the basilica. They are brought down for public veneration only during the Exposition, held about every ten years; the last ran from November 2024 to January 2025.
Is 3 December a holiday in Goa?
Yes, the feast day is a Goa state public holiday.
Sources (7)
- Goa Official Gazette: holidays 2026
- Archdiocese of Goa and Daman: Novena and Feast of St Francis Xavier
- Francis Xavier
- Goa to celebrate St Francis Xavier's Feast tomorrow, The Goan (2024)
- 18th Exposition of St Francis Xavier's relics, Vatican News
- Goa Tourism: Basilica of Bom Jesus
- Goa DIP: traffic diversion and parking for St Francis Xavier Feast (2025)