In the compound of the Colégio de São Paulo o Velho once stood a small chapel, traditionally believed to date back to 1545. According to local legend, St. Francis Xavier used to celebrate Mass there. To the left of the chapel, there remains a well where the Saint is said to have washed his feet; on the right side, another well once provided the water he drank, though that well no longer exists today.
Tradition holds that this chapel was constructed in 1545 and originally dedicated to Saint Anthony. Some accounts suggest that St. Francis Xavier himself may have built it. When the epidemic of 1570 struck, both the Chapel and the College of St. Paul were abandoned. Remarkably, despite the destruction of the once grand and imposing Church and College of St. Paul, this modest chapel has endured through the centuries.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Beside the chapel still stands a well that, according to legend, was used by St. Francis Xavier and other Jesuit fathers for their ablutions. Locals have long believed that the water from this well possesses miraculous properties, and pilgrims continue to drink and bathe in it as an act of devotion.
Tradition also tells that it was here that St. Francis Xavier uttered the words “Satis est Domine, satis” (“It is enough, Lord, enough”) while being comforted by heavenly visions. A silver angel holding a shield engraved with these same Latin words adorns the Saint’s silver casket. It is said that St. Francis spent many nights praying at this spot. Some believe he personally built the chapel, while others claim it was erected in his honor after his death.
Francisco de Souza, author of Oriente Conquistado, recorded that the College compound once housed two chapels, one dedicated to St. Anthony and the other to St. Jerome. The existing chapel is presumed to be one of these. Following St. Francis Xavier’s canonization in 1622, it was rededicated to him. The structure underwent repairs in 1859 and again in 1884, and its walls were once adorned with paintings illustrating the life of the Saint.
A well-known local tradition also recounts that St. Francis Xavier planted several trees in the college grounds, including a jackfruit tree near the chapel. Objects carved from the wood of this tree were venerated by the faithful. In the Church of St. Rita at Maina, Curtorim, stands a crucifix with an inscription on its reverse reading: “He Formada esta Cruz do lenho da jaqueira, que plantou O Glorioso S. Francisco Xavier Apostolo da India, junto da sua Capela no Colegio Velho do S. Paulo de Goa. Ano 1805.”
This crucifix, originally belonging to the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi, was transferred to the Chapel of Maina after the convent’s dissolution in 1835. Although the inscription does not prove that the Saint himself planted the jackfruit tree, the belief remains firmly embedded in local tradition.
In later years, the chapel came under the care of the Cathedral Chapter, which continued to celebrate St. Francis Xavier’s feast on December 2, preceded by a novena. Even after the Colégio de São Paulo was deserted and the chapel fell into neglect, devoted pilgrims have continued to gather there in large numbers to this day.
