The St Cajetan Church stands opposite to the Se Cathedral. Its pattern is said to have been derived from the original design of the Basilica of St Peter in Rome. Built of laterite blocks and plastered with lime, the St Cajetan Church is an example of Corinthian architecture. However, there are Baroque elements in the gilded altars. The original name of the St Cajetan Church was The Church of Our Lady of Divine Providence. The St Cajetan Chuch was built by Italian friars of the Order of Theatines.

Sent by Pope Urban III to preach Christianity in the kingdom of Golconda, the Friars finally settled down in Goa in 1640 when they failed to achieve their original mission. They obtained the site in 1655, and finally built the church in the 17th century. The church is named after the founder of the Theatine order, St.Cajetan (a contemporary of St.Francis Xavier). The main altar of the St Cajetan Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence.

The St Cajetan Church has a total of seven altars. One being the main; while the other six are dedicated to the Holy Family, Our Lady of Piety, St. Clare, St. John, St. Cajetan and St. Agnes - three to the right and three to the left. The paintings on the altars are in the style of the Italian School as it was practiced then. Some of these paintings in the St Cajetan Church also depict scenes from the life of St. Cajetan. The frontispiece of the church also has two belfry towers positioned on either side. These two towers have Corinthian columns and four recesses which houses the statues of the apostles. The shape of the main body of the church from inside is a Greek cross, while from the outside it is oblong in shape. There are many recesses running along the sides of the vault that contain wooden statues of various saints.

The podium is a square raised platform with a kind of tank or a well beneath it. this aspect has gone on to breed the conjecture that the platform covers the holy tank of a Hindu Temple that once existed here and was demolished during the era of Inquisition.

Last Updated on 4^th October 2010

Churches in Goa