India GOChurch of St. Francis of Assisi, Old Goa
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Old Goa, next to the Se Cathedral, hides one of the richest gilded interiors in Old Goa behind a plain facade. Entry is free; reliable hours are 8:30 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday, as the ASI and the tourism listing differ on Sundays and the edges of the day.
Next to Se Cathedral, with a facade so plain that most visitors walk past it towards the Basilica, Old Goa keeps its richest interior. Franciscans who reached Goa in 1517 began here with a small chapel; a church followed in 1521, was consecrated in 1602 and was rebuilt in 1661, keeping only the entrance portal of the earlier building. Inside: gilded woodwork from floor to ceiling, painted panels following the life of St. Francis, and Portuguese tombstones set into the floor you are standing on. The former convent next door is now the Archaeological Museum, with viceroys' portraits and sculpture from before the Portuguese arrived. Free; part of the UNESCO ensemble.
The richest gilded interior in Old Goa, hidden behind the plainest facade
Opening hours
Official hours: goa-tourism.com · checked 28 September 2026
Timings and entry
Entry is free. The opening hours in the card above (07:30–18:30, Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday) come from goa-tourism.com. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after the Old Goa churches as a World Heritage group, gives different figures: 8:30 to 17:30, every day, public holidays included.
Until the two agree, the safe window is 8:30 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday. On a Sunday, check on the spot or plan around the other Old Goa churches.
Mass times are not published by either source.
What to see inside
The facade is plain enough that most visitors walk past on their way to the Basilica of Bom Jesus, and that is the reason to stop. The exterior follows the Tuscan order; the main entrance is Manueline, the late Gothic Portuguese style, and it is the one part kept from the earlier church. In a niche on the facade stands a statue of Our Lady of Miracles, brought from Jaffna in Sri Lanka.
Inside, the nave has three chapels on each side:
- The main altar: Baroque with Corinthian features, gilded from floor to ceiling.
- Painted panels on wood, set between floral borders, following the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
- A rib-vaulted ceiling with floral frescoes, and frescoed designs on the internal buttress walls.
- A carved wooden pulpit with floral patterns.
- Statues: above the tabernacle on the main altar, large figures of St. Francis and of Christ on the cross; a wooden St. Francis also stands on a pedestal bearing the Franciscan insignia.
- Tombstones in the floor: Portuguese grave slabs that you walk across.
History of the church
Eight Franciscan friars reached Goa in 1517 and were given a few houses by the Governor; they turned them into a small chapel. A church dedicated to the Holy Ghost followed in 1521, was expanded and consecrated in 1602, and was rebuilt on the same site in 1661, keeping only the entrance of the older building.
The church is part of the Churches and Convents of Goa, the UNESCO World Heritage group that the ASI describes as the most complete set of 16th and 17th century churches in Old Goa. The former convent next door is now the Archaeological Museum, with portraits of the Portuguese viceroys and sculpture from before the Portuguese arrived; it keeps its own hours.
Where it is
The church stands in Old Goa, right next to the Se Cathedral and a short walk from the Basilica of Bom Jesus, so the three are usually seen together.
Etiquette
This is a consecrated church, not only a monument: dress modestly, keep your voice down, and do not walk in front of anyone praying. If a service is going on, wait at the back or come back later.
❓ FAQ
What are the timings of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi?
goa-tourism.com lists 07:30–18:30, Monday to Saturday; the ASI lists 8:30–17:30 every day. Between 8:30 and 17:30 on a weekday you can count on it being open.
Is there an entry fee?
No, entry to the church is free.
What is the history of the St. Francis of Assisi church in Goa?
Franciscans arrived in 1517 and built a chapel, then a church in 1521; it was consecrated in 1602 and rebuilt in 1661, keeping only the old entrance.
Which church in Goa has a dead body?
That is the Basilica of Bom Jesus nearby, which holds the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, not the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
What are the mass timings at St. Francis Church?
Neither the ASI nor the tourism sources publish mass times; ask at the church.
Is the church in North or South Goa?
In Old Goa, in North Goa district, next to the Se Cathedral.