Portuguese Jesuit missionary and martyr
Saint
John de Britto
|
---|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/St._John_De_Britto.jpg/220px-St._John_De_Britto.jpg) |
|
Born
| 1 March 1647
Lisbon
,
Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves
(now
Portugal
)
|
---|
Died
| 4 February 1693
(1693-02-04)
(aged 45)
Orur
,
Kingdom of Ramnad
(now in
Ramanathapuram district
,
Tamil Nadu
,
India
)
|
---|
Venerated in
| Catholic Church
|
---|
Beatified
| 21 August 1853, Rome by
Pope Pius IX
|
---|
Canonized
| 22 June 1947,
Rome
by
Pope Pius XII
|
---|
Feast
| 4 February
|
---|
Patronage
| Portugal
,
St. John De Britto Church Sakthikulangara, Kerala
,
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sivagangai
,
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai
|
---|
John de Britto
, SJ (also spelled
Brito
;
Portuguese
:
Joao de Brito
), also known as
Arul Anandar
, (1 March 1647 ? 4 February 1693) was a
Portuguese
Jesuit
missionary
and
martyr
, often called "the Portuguese
St Francis Xavier
" by
Indian Catholics
.
He is also called the John the Baptist of India.
Early life and missionary work
[
edit
]
John de Britto, born 1 March 1647 in
Lisbon
,
Portugal
, was the scion of a powerful aristocratic Portuguese family; his father,
Salvador de Britto Pereira
, died while serving as Viceroy of the Portuguese
colony of Brazil
. He joined the Jesuits in 1662, studying at the famous
University of Coimbra
. He travelled to the missions of
Madurai
, in Southern India, present-day
Tamil Nadu
, in 1673 and preached the Christian religion in the region of the Maravar country. He renamed himself
Arul Anandar
(???????????) in
Tamil
. The ruler of the Maravar country imprisoned him in 1684. Having been expelled, he returned to Lisbon in 1687 and worked as a missions procurator. King
Pedro II
wanted him to stay, but in 1690 he returned to the Maravar country with 24 new missionaries.
The Madurai Mission was a bold attempt to establish an Indian Catholic Church that was relatively free of European cultural domination. As such, Britto learned the native languages, went about dressed in yellow cotton, and lived like a
Tamil
Thuravi/Sannyasi, abstaining from every kind of animal food and from
wine
. Britto tried to teach the Catholic faith in categories and concepts that would make sense to the people he taught. This method, proposed and practised by
Roberto de Nobili
, met with remarkable success. Britto remained a strict
vegan
until the end of his life, rejecting meat, fish, eggs and alcohol, and living only on legumes, fruits and herbs.
[1]
[2]
Execution
[
edit
]
Martyrdom of Saint John de Britto Killed by Sethupathi King of Ramnad
De Britto's preaching led to the
conversion
of Thadiyathevan (?????? ?????), a Maravar prince who had several wives and was required as a Christian to dismiss all but one of them. One of those dismissed was a niece of the neighbouring king, the
Raghunatha Kilavan
Sethupathi
(???????),
the King of Ramnad
(Ramanathapuram), who took for her sake launched a general persecution of Christians.
[3]
Britto and the catechists were seized and transported to the capital,
Ramnad
. From there he was taken to
Orur
(???????),
[a]
some 30 miles north along the coast, and was executed on 4 February 1693.
Britto was
beatified
by
Pope Pius IX
on 21 August 1853. He was
canonised
by
Pope Pius XII
on 22 June 1947. Saint John de Britto's
feast day
is 4 February.
Red Sand
[
edit
]
This seashore sightseeing location is one of the most venerable pilgrim centres of Christians in the world over, as it is said to be the site of Britto's martyrdom. It was at this place where Britto is said to have been beheaded in 1693. The sand dune here is believed to have been stained by his blood. There is a shrine constructed in Portuguese style containing a statue of Britto, known locally as 'Arul Anandar' who had modestly offered his neck to the executioner.
Letter of John de Britto requesting to be sent to the Missions
The red sand dune here in this shrine where the blood of Britto was spilled has great significance. Numerous incurable diseases are said to have cured by the application of the red sand on the respective body parts. Couples are believed to have blessed with children on visiting the shrine and praying to the departed soul. During festivities, pilgrims mainly from Tamil Nadu and Kerala participate irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. Thus, together with Christians, Hindus and Muslims also come to worship at the shrine in thousands, to mark respect to a unique holy man who shed his life and blood at that spot. The occasion appears to be more as a social gathering rather than a religious festival. The auspicious ceremony is a rare opportunity for these simple people to bring gaiety and enthusiasm in their life. The strong faith and enviable ability to combine pleasure and righteousness on a pilgrimage gives a divine atmosphere to the Orur festival.
Devotees from other dioceses and districts visit the shrine on specific dates. In February, believers from
Dindigul
arrive while in June, they are from
Karunguli
and
Nagapattinam
. During September more than 25,000 pilgrims used to visit the shrine for dedicating prayers and offerings. In October, nearly 25,000 pilgrims arrive from the neighbouring
Sivagangai
district and in December, visitors are from
Madurai
and
Melur
. Throughout the year, thousands of pilgrims from
Sakthikulangara
, a Catholic parish in Kerala, visit the shrine.
In Portugal
[
edit
]
His name was given to the Jesuit-run
Colegio de Sao Joao de Brito
(Saint John de Britto College), located in
Lisbon
,
Portugal
.
In India
[
edit
]
The
Basilica of St. John de Britto
is in the village of
Orur
(also spelled Oreiour), where he is a significant figure revered by the
Kallar
,
Maravar
and
Agamudayar
.
[5]
There is only one church in Coimbatore dedicated to John de Britto and located at R S Puram, and it is one of the largest parishes in the diocese of
Coimbatore
. There is also a church in Subramaniapuram in
Tiruchirapalli
district of Tamil Nadu dedicated to him. In 2016, a Church was built in honour of St. John de Britto at Laggere, Bangalore (Karnataka). There is also a Church dedicated
John de Britto
in
Sesurajapuram
, Krishnagiri district of Tamilnadu.
One of the four houses in the Jesuit school, St Xavier's, Durgapur, is named after John de Britto. In the
Campion School of Mumbai
and
St Xavier's Hazaribag
there is a house named after Britto (Britto House). The other two houses are named for
Francis Xavier
(Xavier House) and
Ignatius of Loyola
(Loyola House). One of four houses in the Jesuit school,
St Stanislaus High School
. The other three houses named after Francis Xavier (Xavier House), Ignatius of Loyola (Loyola House) and
Stanislaus Kostka
(Kostka House). Also one of the four houses in St. Xavier's School, Kolkata, is named after Britto.
One of the four houses in the
Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School
Tangasseri
,
Kollam
is named after John de Britto (Brittos). The other three houses are named for
John Bosco
(Boscos),
John Berchmans
(Berchmans) and
Dominic Savio
(Savios).
Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary school Tiruchirapalli
which is one of the prestigious schools in
Tiruchirapalli
district of Tamil Nadu also has a house named after him.
St Britto High School
in
Goa
is named after Britto as he lived there for seven months to complete his theological studies at
St Paul's College
in Old
Goa
. The school is administered by the Jesuits. There is an Anglo-Indian Boys High School in the
Kochi Diocese
, in the old Portuguese city of
Fort Cochin
, named after John de Britto, nearby the Bishop's House, in
Kochi
. There is a St. John De Britto College of Education at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu (B.Ed. and M.Ed. college) since Britto worked in the Diocese of Thanjavur as well.
Britto is the patron saint (referred as
Pathukavul
) of
Sakthikulangara
Parish in
Kollam Diocese
,
Kerala
. Every year, Britto's feast day is celebrated in
Sakthikulangara
with a big procession (
pradakshinam
). The
St John De Britto Anglo-Indian High School
is named after him.
One of the Jesuit colleges established in Tamil Nadu is named after Britto as
Arul Anandar College
(Arts & Science) which is in Karumathur, Madurai, as well as
St. Arul Anandar School, Orur
, in the town where Britto died. These last two schools were established by the Jesuits to promote education in the rural parts of
Tamil Nadu
.
Other countries
[
edit
]
In the
Philippines
, Britto is honoured with several class sections named after him in the Jesuit-run schools:
In
Yogyakarta
,
Indonesia
, a Jesuit school for boys is named after him,
SMA Kolese De Britto
(De Britto College Senior High School).
In Penang, Malaysia, there is a church called Church of St John Britto. The church is part of City Parish in the city of Georgetown, Penang. It was built in 1969. On 3 February 2019, the city parish held a Golden Jubilee celebration.
In Mauritius there is a chapel named St Jean de Britto dedicated to Tamil Catholics living in the area.
In
Brazil
there is a Sao Joao de Brito Parish in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Santo Amaro
, one of the dioceses in the city of
Sao Paulo
. The parish was founded on 30 December 1952 and remains as one of the churches among the Pastoral Sector of Saint Amaro in the diocese.
[6]
[7]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
At that time, the village was spelled Oriyur or Oreiour, but the modern spelling is Orur.
[4]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
de Britto, Fernando Pereira (brother of John de Britto) (1852) [1722].
Historia do nascimento, vida e martyrio do Beato Joao de Britto da Companhia de Jesus, Martyr da Asia, e protomartyr da missao do Madure
[
History of the birth, life and martyrdom of Blessed John de Britto of the Society of Jesus, Martyr of Asia, and Protomartyr of the Madura Mission
] (in Portuguese) (2nd ed.).
Lisbon
: A. S. Monteiro. p. 203.
ISBN
978-1-142-04284-4
. Retrieved
2011-06-15
.
... se absteve ate a morte de carnes, de ovos, de peixe, e de vinho, contentando-se com legumes, hervas e frutas; [... abstained from meats, eggs, fish, and wine until his death, contenting himself with vegetables, herbs and fruits;]
- ^
Roberts, Holly Harlayne (2004-09-01).
Vegetarian Christian Saints: Mystics, Ascetics & Monks
. New York: Anjeli Press. p. 198.
ISBN
978-0-9754844-0-1
. Retrieved
2010-12-08
.
He distinguished himself by ... consuming a totally vegetarian diet
- ^
Woods, Henry (1910).
"Blessed John de Britto"
.
Catholic Encyclopedia
. Vol. 8.
New York City
: Robert Appleton Company
. Retrieved
2016-08-09
.
- ^
"Orur"
.
2011 Census of India
. Retrieved
2020-12-02
.
- ^
Raj, Selva J. (2002). "Transgressing Boundaries, Transcending Turner: The Pilgrimage Tradition at the Shrine of St. John de Britto". In Raj, Selva J.; Dempsey, Corinne G. (eds.).
Popular Christianity in India: Riting Between the Lines
. SUNY Press. pp. 86?87.
ISBN
978-0-7914-5519-7
. Retrieved
2012-05-01
.
- ^
"Paroquia Sao Joao de Brito"
.
- ^
https://paroquiasaojoaodebrito.com.br/
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|