The Igreja de Santa Catarina represents one of the best examples of the 17th-century Portuguese baroque style, where the decoration presents a harmonious combination of stucco, carved wood and paintings.
Forming an integral part of the Convento de São Paulo da Serra da Ossa, the church is dedicated to the Holy Sacrament. In 1835, after the suppression of the religious orders, it became the parish church of Santa Catarina, a function that it still fulfils today.
Particularly impressive are the stucco ceiling decorated in the rococo style, a monumental organ made of carved and gilded wood, the 17th-century stalls in the upper choir, the paintings by Bento Coelho da Silveira, the marble altarpiece of Senhor Jesus da Pobreza (Our Lord of Poverty) and the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Atocha (Chapel of Our Lady of Atocha), offered to the church in 1681 by the highly regarded painter of azulejos Gabriel del Barco. The monumental high altar is a remarkable example of 17th-century wood carving.
The Igreja de Santa Catarina has been classified as a National Monument.
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