Rev. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves, CO (Devanagari Konkani: पाद्री झाकॉम गोनसाल्विश;

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: Padre Jacome Gonçalves;

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

: ஜாகோமே கொன்சால்வேஸ் அருட்தந்தை; Sinhala: ජාකොමේ ගොන්සාල්වෙස් පියතුමා ''Jakome Gonsalves Piyathuma'') was an Oratorian

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

and missionary in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, when the Dutch were imposing

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

as the official religion after defeating the

. He also helped

Joseph Vaz Joseph Vaz ( Konkani: ''San Zuze Vaza''; pt, São José Vaz; kn, ಪವಿತ್ರಾ ಯೋಸೆಫ್ ವಾಸ್ ಸಂತರು ''Pavitra Yoseph Vaz Santaru''; ta, புனித யோசேப் வாஸ் முனிவர் ...

in missionary work. He was proficient in the local Sinhala and

Languages. He is known as the "Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka" because of his tremendous literary output. He had written many books,

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s and translated many

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

hymns into local languages. Some of his hymns and prayers are in popular use even today among Sinhala and Tamil Catholics.

Life

Birth

Jacome Gonçalves was the eldest son of Tomás Gonçalves and Mariana de Abreu, a Goan Catholic couple living in the parish of Our Lady of Piety (

Piedade, Goa Piedade is an island village located in Ilhas (also known as Tiswadi), a northern district in the state of Goa, India, and named after Our Lady of Compassion. The name comes from the Portuguese word , which means "compassion". It lies 23 km ea ...

). He was born on 8 June 1676. He was a Konkani Brahmin by lineage. His family had been Catholic for many generations, being among the first native converts at the beginning of Portuguese rule in Goa.

Education

Gonsalves studied at the Jesuit College of Goa. He enrolled in the University of Goa robably_Saint_Paul's_College,_Goa.html" ;"title="Saint_Paul's_College,_Goa.html" ;"title="robably Saint Paul's College, Goa">robably Saint Paul's College, Goa">Saint_Paul's_College,_Goa.html" ;"title="robably Saint Paul's College, Goa">robably Saint Paul's College, Goa and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1696 he began theological studies at the Academy of St Thomas Aquinas in Goa, where he also held the post of organist. This seems to have led him to develop a taste for poetry, prose and music.

Ordination

He was ordained, to the priesthood by Rt. Rev. Agostinho de Anunciação, Archbishop of Goa, in April 1700 at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Old Goa, Cathedral of St. Catherine. He decided to enter the Oratorian Congregation of Goa. He was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the University of St Paul's in Goa robably the Collegio São Paulo He took up his post in January 1705, but relinquished it the same year to go to Sri Lanka.

At Sri Lanka

He left Goa on 9 May 1705 and reached Sri Lanka on 30 August 1705, arriving at

Talaimannar Talaimannar ( ta, தலைமன்னார்; si, තලෙයිමන්නාරම) is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island. Transport Sri Lanka's northern railway line was destroyed, disrupted ...

. At the time, he knew Konkani,

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. During the long journey he studied Tamil. He mastered this language during his first assignment on the islands of

Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places: India * Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala Sri Lanka * Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka ** Mannar Island, an island within the district **Mannar Bridge, a bridge connect ...

, Arippu, Musali and other places in the Munnar district. He also learnt

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. Fr

sent him to

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

to learn Sinhala. Fr Gonsalves studied with the Buddhist monks at the Malwatta chapter, known for their high and elegant Sinhala. Then after, he conducted his services in areas around

Negombo Negombo (, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, from Colombo via Colombo - Katunayake Expressway. Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in the country an ...

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

, and

Kalutara Kalutara ( si, කළුතර, ta, களுத்துறை) or Kalutota is a major city in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is also the administrative capital of Kalutara District. It is located approximately south o ...

from February, 1709. In the same year, he converted more than 1300 to

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. First months of 1710, he stayed at

. While he was servicing between

Sitawaka Avissawella, ( si, අවිස්සාවේල්ල, ta, அவிசாவளை) is a township in Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council, situated on the A4 route from Colombo to Ratnapura, Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, ap ...

and Colombo, he was tortured by Dutch, who were controlling the coastline of Sri Lanka. Because of the extreme illness of St. Fr. Joseph Vaz, he came back to Kandy. There he gave him extreme unction and did his funeral. Due to the dislocating of his temporomandibular joint in 1711, he went to the royal doctors, then to

Puttlam Puttalam ( si, පුත්තලම, translit=Puttalama; ta, புத்தளம், translit=Puttaḷam) is the largest town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is the administrative capital of the Puttalam Di ...

, Sitawaka, and Colombo. Thereafter he stayed at Kandy till 1713. He built a church near Palace of Hanguranketha. And then he went to service in Negombo and Colombo. He was appointed as the Sub Chief of Bishop of

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

and as the chief of the all Oratorians in Sri Lanka. He serviced in the Northern areas till 1725. Thenafter he serviced in Colombo and nearby areas. He serviced as a peacemaker of King in 1726. He also took place in stopping a revolt that was going to be in 1729. Though the chiefs of Congregation of Oratory (Goa) asked him to return Goa, through Bishop of Cochin, Fr Jacome Gonsalvez rejected the appeal, thinking of his service at Sri Lanka. He wrote many of his works at

Bolawatta Bolawatta is a populated place located in Sri Lanka. The location is situated 130 kilometers west (284°) of the approximate center of Sri Lanka and 40 kilometers north (2°) of the capital Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=K ...

, near

. Since there was no printing press, he employed 12 Sinhala clerks to copy his works. Fr Jacome Gonsalves has been called: "the most successful missionary that this island (:Sri Lanka) ever had, the creator of Catholic literature in Ceylon, whose name is still held in benediction and whose literary works in Sinhalese and Tamil are still in daily use in the church of this island."

Works

Books

Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez is known as the "Father of Catholic Literature of Sri Lanka". That is because of the service he had done to the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka from his books. He has written 42 books including 22 in Sinhala, 14 in

, 5 in

, and 1 in

Deva Vedha Puranaya (දේව වේද පුරාණය)

දේව වේද පුරාණය (''Deva Veda Puranaya ='' Divine History'') is a c''ompendium of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

in 2 parts, including 28 chapters under පුරාණ දේව වාක්‍ය (''Purana Deva Wakya = Old Testament)'' and 2 chapters under අභිනව දේව වාක්‍ය ''(Abhinava Deva Wakya = New Teastament)''. With a content of 400 printed pages, this was the largest book that was written in Kandyan Era. This has been influenced by Thomas Stephens' ''Khristapurana''. This is the greatest book written by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. This has been written as the whole creation of world has been done in Sri Lanka, with usage of creative

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may oc ...

s and

allusion Allusion is a figure of speech, in which an object or circumstance from unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly. It is left to the audience to make the direct connection. Where the connection is directly and explicitly stated (as ...

s. His description of the Garden of Eden includes local trees:

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

, king coconut, timbiri, sandalwood, blue lotus.

Deva Vedha Sankshapaya (දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය)

දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය (''Deva Veda Sankshapaya ='' Summary of Divine History) is a summary of ''Deva Veda Puranaya'' written in 1713. This has been written as a

questionnaire A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of ...

. Suvishesha Visheshanaya (සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය) සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය (''Suvishesha Visarjanaya ='' Gospel Resolution) is a book written in 1730. It consists of

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

s read on

Sundays The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in the late 1980s, which released three albums throughout the 1990s. The band's beginnings came with the meeting of singer Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin while attending ...

, debt festivals and

feasts A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival con ...

of important saints, and

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...

s on those days.

Dukprapthi Prasangaya (දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය)

දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය (''Dukpraprthi Prasangaya'' = Sermon of torture) is a book written in 1728, on torture of Jesus. It has 9

s which are divided among 7 weeks including 6 weeks of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

and

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

. This has done a great job to the liturgy in Lent. Here ප්‍රසංගය (''prasangaya'' = show) has come from Tamil word பிரசங்கம் (''pirasangam'') which means sermon. So it means Sermon of Torture. In early years, this was used as the script for Easter plays.

Dharmodyanaya (ධර්මෝද්‍යානය)

ධර්මෝද්‍යානය (''Dharmodyanaya'') is a book written on

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

of Saints. This has been written in 1735.

Prathiharyawaliya (ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය)

ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය (''Prathiharyawaliya'') is a book written on some of the

miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

done by Jesus which are mentioned in Holy Bible, in 1732.

Sukurtha Darpanaya (සුකෘත දර්පණය)

සුකෘත දර්පණය (''Sukurtha Darpanaya'') is a book written in between 1733 - 1740, to invite to a life of faith, and to show the value of a Christian life of faith.

Deva Neethi Visarjanaya (දේව නීති විසර්ජනය)

දේව නීති විසර්ජනය (''Deva Neethi Visarjanaya'' = Resolution of divine laws) is a book written in between 1720 - 1730, on the

last judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

of God.

Veda Kavya (වේද කාව්‍ය)

වේද කාව්‍ය (''Veda Kavya'') Veda Kavyaya is a poetic composition, composed in 1725. It covers the history of the world from the creation to ascension of Christ into heaven.

Agnana Aushadhaya (අඥාන ඖෂධය)

අඥාන ඖෂධය (''Agnana Aushadhaya'' = Medicine for fools) is book written as a

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

for the expels. Many have converted into

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

after reading this. It has been written in dialogues.

Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha (දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත)

දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත (''Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha'' = Pasam book of nine sermons) is the Dukprapthi Prasangaya, written as

poems Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

. 9 sermons are written in 9 chapters, with about 20 - 30 poems per each. And the 7th sermon includes 76 poems and 8th sermon includes 85 poems. In total there are 357 poems. This has been written in between 1712 - 1743, to get rid of the uniformity in Dukprapthi Prasangaya.

Kristhiyani Palliya (ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය)

ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය (''Kristiyani Palliya'' = Christian Church) is a book of

s written for the day to day usage of Catholics. It contains prayers for healing of humans as well as animals, prayers to protect the agriculture from pests, and prayers for saints. It has been written in between 1715 - 1730.

Mathara Prathyakshaya (මාතර ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂය)

මාතර ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂය (''Mathara Prathyakshaya'' = Manifest of Matara) is a book written rejecting the teachings of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

, and giving a correct idea, in 1733.

Mangala Geethaya (මංගල ගීතය)

මංගල ගීතය (''Mangala Geethaya'' = Festival song) is a book containing

s to Jesus, Mary and Saints in 1730. This was used for liturgical purposes.

Ananda Kalippuwa (ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව)

ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව (''Ananda Kalippuwa'') is a song book written in 1728. It is the first song book ever written in Sri Lanka. It contained the songs which told about the frivolousness of the life. This is venerated as a great book containing songs. It contained some songs which denounced the corruptions in the king's palace and council farcically.

Budu Mula (බුදු මුල)

බුදු මුල (''Budu Mula'' = Roots of buddhism) is a book written in 1737, showing the weak points of

, and to show the right way to the people at palace.

Gnanangjanaya (ඥානාංජනය)

ඥානාංජනය (''Gnanangjanaya'' = Knowledge the medicine to eye) is a book written in 1738. It contains 12

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

s (Religious sermons) to refresh, lighten the spiritual vision of Catholics. These meditations are written to be said on

retreats The meaning of a spiritual retreat can be different for different religious communities. Spiritual retreats are an integral part of many Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and Sufi communities. In Hinduism and Buddhism, meditative retreats are ...

. It shows the value and objective of humanity, what is

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

, how to get rid of sin and the results of sin.

Dictionaries

* සිංහල - ප්‍රතිකාල් අකාරාදිය (Sinhala Prathikaal Akaaradiya = Sinhala Portuguese Dictionary) 1730 * ප්‍රතිකාල් - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Sinhala Dictionary) 1720 * ප්‍රතිකාල් - දෙමළ - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Demala Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Tamil Sinhala Dictionary) 1735

Other Books (Sinhala)

* සත්‍ය උපදේශ (Sathya Upadesha)

Tamil Books

* சட்டிய வேதாகம சம்க்ஷேபம் (Sattiya Vedagama Samshepam) * கிறிஸ்டியானி ஆலயம் (Kiristiyani Aalayam) - The oldest prayer book in Tamil in Sri Lanka * வியாகுல பிரசங்கம் (Viyakula Pirasangam) - Tamil version of Dukprapthi Prasangaya * சுவிசேஷ விரித்துறை (Suvisesha Viriththurai) - Tamil version of Suvishesha Visarjanaya Paintings of Fr

Hymns

Fr. Jacome Gonsalves wrote and translated many

s during his lifetime. Many of those are still in common use in the Roman Catholic Church. Those did a massive service to the Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka. He introduced a new variety of hymns, or lamentations called Pasan (පසම් / ஒப்பாரி), which are still being sung in the lent times. And Sinhala Christmas Carols were introduced by him. Some of very popular hymns written by him are as follows: * දෙවිදු උපන්නේය සතුනි (Devidu Upanneya = Jesus was born) * ත්‍රී එක සුර ජේසුනේ (Three Eka Sura Jesune) * ආරම්බෙන් පෙර (Aaramben Pera = Before the beginning)

Paintings

Fr. Jacome Gonsalves has also done a number of paintings on the Stations of the Cross. These paintings are now found at the church of Our Lady of Assumption, Bolawatta.

Prayers

Many prayers have also been made and translated by him. Still these are one of most being used prayers till these days. Some of the prayers made or translated by him are as follows: * නමෝ මරියනි (Namo Mariyani = Hail Mary) * ස්වාමිවාක් ආරාධනාව (Swamiwak Aradanawa = Lord's Prayer) * කයදුෂ්කාර ප්‍රාර්ථනාව (Kayadushkaara Praarthanaawa)

Death

Fr. Jacome Gonsalves came to Bolawatta church in 1740. There he wrote and published many books. He chose there as the meeting place of the all missionaries who were in Sri Lanka. He died on 17 July 1742, at an age of 66. He was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Assumption, Bolawatta.

Reliquaries

His tomb was opened in 1852, by Fr. Florentine Gracia. Some of his bones were found there and a bone was kept in the altar of the new church. And then the tomb was sealed. When it was opened again, his cross and a tooth were taken out. The tooth has been kept in the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Nainamadama. It is owned by Muthunamagonnage Niroshan Pranadu for generations.

Secondary bibliography

*Fernandopulle, Anthony. ''Father Jacome Gonsalves: Sinhala Christian Literary Hero: A Study of the Sinhala Literary Works of Fr Jacome Gonsalves (1676–1742)''. Colombo: St Peter's College, 2000. *Perera, S.G. ''The Life of Fr Jacome Gonsalves.'' Madura, 1942. *Boudens, R. ''The Catholic Church in Ceylon under Dutch Rule''. Rome, 1957. *Peter, W.L.A. Don. ''Historical Gleanings''. 1992. *Peter, W.L.A. Don. ''Star in the East''. 1995. *Peiris, Edmond. ''Sinhalese Christian Literature of the XVII and XVIII centuries''. 1943. *Perniola, V. ''The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka: The Dutch Period''. 1983. *Vaz, J. Clement. ''Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present.'' New Delhi: Concept Publishing, 1997.

Notes

External links

* https://www.frgonsalves.co.uk/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Jacome 1676 births 1742 deaths Indian Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in Sri Lanka