St. John de Britto, when a child, served as a page to Don Pedro II of Portugal. John, a modest boy of rich and princely parents, had much to bear from his careless-living companions, to whom his holy life was a reproach. A severe illness made him turn for aid to Saint Francis Xavier. Soon healed, John's heart burned to follow the example of the Apostle of India.
When he was fifteen years old, he entered on December 17, 1662, the Lisbon novitiate of the Society of Jesus, and eleven years later, despite the determined opposition of his family and the court, he left with twenty-seven Jesuit co-disciples for Madurai, India, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. John's mother used all her influence to prevent him from leaving his own country, but the future martyr declared firmly: God, who called me from the world into religious life, now calls me from Portugal to India. Not to respond to my vocation as I ought, would be to provoke the justice of God. As long as I live, I shall never cease to desire passage to India. His ardent desire was fulfilled.
He labored in the Jesuit province of Madurai, which included seven missions, preaching, converting, and baptizing multitudes, at the cost of privations, hardships, and persecutions. In 1682, struck by his success and his sanctity, his Jesuit Superiors entrusted to him the government of the entire province. To the wars of the local kings, which created ravages, disorder, pillage and death for the people, famine, pestilence, and floods added to the devastation of the unhappy land. Saint John was dedicated to bringing aid to the poor Christians and pagans afflicted by so many disasters. All the Christians were pursued by bands of robbers, paid by the ruling elements to prevent any increase in the influence of the disciples of Christ. Saint John's miracles helped him, and God preserved him from the snares of his many enemies.
He was seized, tortured, and nearly massacred by the pagans, then banished from the local states. His Superiors sent him back to Europe to concern himself with the affairs of the missions of India. They wrote of him: He has affronted every peril to save souls and extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ, for whose love he has been captured several times and condemned to frightful torments. He preached in Portugal at the court and in the various dioceses and universities, without ever forgetting that he was a missionary of Madurai, for which he recruited many generous workers for the Gospel vineyard.
He finally went back to the land of his choice in 1690 with twenty-five Jesuits. John baptized thousands and instructed the pagans whom grace had touched. The brahmans were alarmed once more and conjured his death; he was tracked everywhere, but the envoys could not take him for some time. Eventually they succeeded, and his great enemy, a local ruler, exiled him with orders to imprison him and kill him secretly. But his execution by decapitation was carried out in the sight of a multitude of Christians who knew of his coming martyrdom, and who saw him pray in an apparent ecstasy, which checked the executioner's courage for a time. They buried him and did not cease to pray at the tomb of this second Apostle to India. He was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Article from: http://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_john_de_britto.html
St. John de Britto is the parochial patron saint of the school Fr. Antony taught at, and they celebrate his feast day with great festivities on February 4.
When he was fifteen years old, he entered on December 17, 1662, the Lisbon novitiate of the Society of Jesus, and eleven years later, despite the determined opposition of his family and the court, he left with twenty-seven Jesuit co-disciples for Madurai, India, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. John's mother used all her influence to prevent him from leaving his own country, but the future martyr declared firmly: God, who called me from the world into religious life, now calls me from Portugal to India. Not to respond to my vocation as I ought, would be to provoke the justice of God. As long as I live, I shall never cease to desire passage to India. His ardent desire was fulfilled.
He labored in the Jesuit province of Madurai, which included seven missions, preaching, converting, and baptizing multitudes, at the cost of privations, hardships, and persecutions. In 1682, struck by his success and his sanctity, his Jesuit Superiors entrusted to him the government of the entire province. To the wars of the local kings, which created ravages, disorder, pillage and death for the people, famine, pestilence, and floods added to the devastation of the unhappy land. Saint John was dedicated to bringing aid to the poor Christians and pagans afflicted by so many disasters. All the Christians were pursued by bands of robbers, paid by the ruling elements to prevent any increase in the influence of the disciples of Christ. Saint John's miracles helped him, and God preserved him from the snares of his many enemies.
He was seized, tortured, and nearly massacred by the pagans, then banished from the local states. His Superiors sent him back to Europe to concern himself with the affairs of the missions of India. They wrote of him: He has affronted every peril to save souls and extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ, for whose love he has been captured several times and condemned to frightful torments. He preached in Portugal at the court and in the various dioceses and universities, without ever forgetting that he was a missionary of Madurai, for which he recruited many generous workers for the Gospel vineyard.
He finally went back to the land of his choice in 1690 with twenty-five Jesuits. John baptized thousands and instructed the pagans whom grace had touched. The brahmans were alarmed once more and conjured his death; he was tracked everywhere, but the envoys could not take him for some time. Eventually they succeeded, and his great enemy, a local ruler, exiled him with orders to imprison him and kill him secretly. But his execution by decapitation was carried out in the sight of a multitude of Christians who knew of his coming martyrdom, and who saw him pray in an apparent ecstasy, which checked the executioner's courage for a time. They buried him and did not cease to pray at the tomb of this second Apostle to India. He was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Article from: http://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_john_de_britto.html
St. John de Britto is the parochial patron saint of the school Fr. Antony taught at, and they celebrate his feast day with great festivities on February 4.
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