About Feast of St Francis Xavier
The Feast of St Francis Xavier, on 3 December, honours the 16th-century Jesuit missionary whose body lies in a silver casket in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa. Goans call him Goencho Saib, and Catholics from across Goa and abroad come to Old Goa after a nine-day novena. In 2026 it falls on Thursday, 3 December 2026 and is a public holiday in Goa.
Who was St Francis Xavier?
Francis Xavier was born on 7 April 1506 at the castle of Xavier in Navarre, in what is now northern Spain. As a student in Paris he joined Ignatius of Loyola, and on 15 August 1534 he was one of the seven companions who took vows together at Montmartre. That group became the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits.
He landed in Goa on 6 May 1542, sent east with the Pope's authority over the Portuguese clergy there. In Goa he preached, visited prisons and cared for lepers. He then went south to the Paravas, the pearl-fishing community of the south-eastern coast, and on to Travancore, Malacca, the Moluccas and Japan, where he landed at Kagoshima on 15 August 1549. He died on Shangchuan island (also written Sancian) off the coast of China, still waiting for a way into the mainland.
The Church keeps his feast on 3 December. The 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia gives 2 December as the day of his death, and historians are not certain which date is right. He was canonised with Ignatius on 12 March 1622, and in 1927 Pope Pius XI named him co-patron of the Catholic missions with St Thérèse of Lisieux.
Goans call him Goencho Saib, Goa's Saib. *Saib* means master, and Goa's information department also spells the name Gõycho Saib. Old Goa itself is sometimes called Saibachem Gõy, the Saib's Goa.
His record is not read the same way by everyone. In 1546 he wrote to King John III of Portugal proposing an Inquisition for Goa, which began after his death. For devotees he is a protector they pray to, and a greeting is not the place to argue history.
How his body came to Old Goa
The feast centres on Old Goa because his body is there, after a journey of more than a year.
- Dec 1552Death on Shangchuan
He is buried on the island's shore.
- Feb 1553First exhumation
The body is dug up, found without decay, and taken to Malacca, where it is buried at Our Lady of the Hill from 22 March.
- 16 Mar 1554Arrival in Goa
The body reaches Goa, where it has stayed ever since.
- May 1605Bom Jesus consecrated
The Jesuit church, begun in 1594, is consecrated by Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes.
- 1614Right forearm sent to Rome
It is detached at the request of the Jesuit Superior General and is still kept at the Gesù church in Rome.
- 12 Mar 1622Canonisation
Pope Gregory XV declares Francis Xavier and Ignatius of Loyola saints on the same day.
- 1946Basilica status
Bom Jesus is raised to the rank of a basilica.
Today the relics rest in a silver casket above his tomb in the basilica. The shrine's bronze reliefs were made in Florence by Giovanni Battista Foggini, court sculptor to Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. *Bom Jesus* is Portuguese for "Good Jesus", and the basilica is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Golden Rose that Pope Pius XII gave to Goa's Se Cathedral in 1953 is placed on the saint's tomb.
The novena and the feast day
The novena, nine days of prayer, begins on 24 November and runs up to the eve of the feast. Parishes and families come to the basilica for the novena Masses, and the Collector's traffic diversions around Old Goa start on the first day.
On 3 December the crowds are at their largest. Goa's Chief Minister has described hundreds of thousands of people coming to Old Goa for the feast, from across Goa, other states and abroad. Many make the journey on foot, and Goans living abroad often time a trip home for it. After Mass, devotees join a long queue to pray before the relics.
The feast opens Goa's December. Goa Liberation Day follows on 19 December and Christmas on the 25th, so one December trip home can cover all three.
The date can shift when 3 December falls on a Sunday. In 2023, when it was the first Sunday of Advent, the novena began on 25 November and the feast at Old Goa was kept on Monday 4 December. Sundays of Advent take precedence over saints' days in the Catholic calendar, so in such years check the parish notice before you plan a visit or time a message.
The Exposition of the relics
Roughly once every ten years the body is brought down from the tomb and shown to pilgrims for about six weeks. Each recent Exposition has included the feast on 3 December.
| Exposition | Dates |
|---|---|
| 16th | 21 November 2004 to 2 January 2005 |
| 17th | 22 November 2014 to 4 January 2015 |
| 18th | 21 November 2024 to 5 January 2025 |
For 2024–25 the state set up an Exposition Secretariat headed by the Chief Minister to run traffic, health and sanitation with the Church authorities. If the pattern holds, the next Exposition would fall around 2034, but no date had been announced as of this writing.
What to write on the feast
For a Catholic Goan, the feast is about faith and family more than celebration, so the best wishes are short and personal. "Happy feast" is the everyday greeting. A line about Old Goa, the novena or the walk shows you know what the day means to them. If you write in Konkani, Goan Catholics use the Roman script, called Romi Konkani.
Parbim, Mum and Dad! (Greetings!) Say a prayer for me at Bom Jesus this feast, and tell Goencho Saib I'll be home for Christmas.
You're walking to Old Goa again this year. Go slow, drink plenty of water, and say one prayer for me at the basilica. Happy feast.
Wishing you and your family a blessed Feast of St Francis Xavier. Enjoy the day at home, and I hope the queue at Old Goa is kind to you.
Happy feast from Panjim. Old Goa was packed this morning and everyone asked when you're coming home. Goencho Saib is keeping your place in the queue.
Nine days of novena, and now the feast. Parbim! (Greetings!) May Goencho Saib, Goa's own saint, hear every prayer you carried to Old Goa.
I'm not Catholic, but I know how much this feast means to your family. Wishing you a peaceful, happy Feast of St Francis Xavier and a safe trip to Old Goa.
Dev borem korum (thank you) for taking me to Old Goa for the feast. I'll remember the crowds, the quiet inside Bom Jesus and your mother's prayers for a long time.
- Goencho Saib
- Goa's Saib, the Konkani name for St Francis Xavier; also spelt Gõycho Saib.
- Saib
- Master; Goans use it for a revered saint.
- Novena
- Nine consecutive days of prayer before a feast, here from 24 November.
- Fest
- Konkani for a church feast, as in a village fest.
- Parbim
- Konkani for greetings or congratulations.
- Dev borem korum
- Konkani for "thank you".
- Exposition
- The public showing of the saint's body, held about once a decade.
Do
- Say "Happy feast" or "Blessed feast"; both sit well with Goan Catholics.
- Mention the novena or the walk to Old Goa if the person did it.
- If you visit, dress modestly and stay quiet in the queue to the relics.
Avoid
- Don't joke about the body or the relics; for devotees they are sacred.
- Don't turn the message into a beach-holiday line; this is a church feast.
- Avoid debating the saint's historical record in a greeting.
For Goa's civic days, see Goa Statehood Day, or browse the 2026 calendar.
How to wish someone on Feast of St Francis Xavier
A good wish for this feast is warm and devout without preaching. Name Goencho Saib, Old Goa or the novena, and the family the feast brings home. "Happy feast" or "Blessed feast" is the natural greeting. For someone who walked to Old Goa or kept all nine days of the novena, notice the effort. If you are not Catholic, a simple, sincere line is enough. Never joke about the relics, and keep beach-holiday talk out of it.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Konkani.
When is Feast of St Francis Xavier in each year?
Feast of St Francis Xavier falls on a different date each year.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
Why is St Francis Xavier called Goencho Saib?
Goencho Saib means "Goa's Saib" in Konkani, where Saib means master. Goans gave St Francis Xavier the name because his body has been kept in Old Goa since 1554 and he is treated as the state's own protector saint.
When does the novena for St Francis Xavier begin?
The novena for St Francis Xavier usually begins on 24 November and runs for nine days before the feast on 3 December. When 3 December falls on a Sunday, the dates can move by a day, as they did in 2023, when the feast was kept on 4 December.
Is the Feast of St Francis Xavier a holiday in Goa?
Yes. The Goa government lists the Feast of St Francis Xavier on 3 December as a public holiday and a bank holiday. It is not on Goa's list of commercial and industrial holidays, so some private businesses stay open.
When is the next Exposition of St Francis Xavier's relics?
The last Exposition of St Francis Xavier's relics ran from 21 November 2024 to 5 January 2025. Expositions are usually held about every ten years, so the next is expected around 2034, but the Church decides the timing.
Where is the body of St Francis Xavier kept?
The body of St Francis Xavier is kept in a silver casket in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, the former capital of Portuguese India. His right forearm was removed in 1614 and is kept at the Gesù church in Rome.
Can people of other faiths visit Bom Jesus on the feast?
Yes, visitors of any faith come to the Basilica of Bom Jesus during the novena and feast. Dress modestly, carry an ID card, leave bags behind and expect long queues to pray before the relics.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .