Jacome Gonsalves

Jacome Gonsalves, CO (Devanagari Konkani: पाद्री झाकॉम गोनसाल्विश; Portuguese: Padre Jacome Gonçalves; Tamil: ஜாகோமே கொன்சால்வேஸ் அருட்தந்தை; Sinhala: ජාකොමේ ගොන්සාල්වෙස් පියතුමා Jakome Gonsalves Piyathuma) was an Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon.

Gonsalves arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, when the Dutch were imposing Calvinism as the official religion after defeating the Portuguese. He also helped Joseph Vaz in missionary work. He was proficient in the local Sinhala and Tamil Languages.

He is known as the "Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka" because of his tremendous literary output. He had written many books, prayers, hymns and translated many Latin hymns into local languages. Some of his hymns and prayers are in popular use even today among Sinhala and Tamil Catholics.

Life

Birth Jacome Gonsalves was the eldest son of Tomás Gonsalves and Mariana de Abreu, a Goan Catholic couple living in the parish of Our Lady of Piety (Piedade, Goa). 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 [probably 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. 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 [probably 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 An ivory statue of Mary, Presented to Fr. Jacome by the King He left Goa on 9 May 1705 and reached Sri Lanka on 30 August 1705, arriving at Talaimannar. At the time, he knew Konkani, Portuguese, Latin and Spanish. During the long journey he studied Tamil. He mastered this language during his first assignment on the islands of Mannar, Arippu, Musali and other places in the Munnar district. He also learnt Dutch. Fr Joseph Vaz sent him to Kandy 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, Colombo, and Kalutara from February, 1709. In the same year, he converted more than 1300 to Catholicism. First months of 1710, he stayed at Kandy. While he was servicing between Sitawaka and Colombo, he was tortured by Dutch, who were controlling the coastline of Sri Lanka. Because of the extreme illness of Fr. Joseph Vaz, he came back to Kandy. There he gave him extreme unction and did his funeral.

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 Tamil, 5 in Portuguese, and 1 in Dutch. 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 illusions and allusions. His description of the Garden of Eden includes local trees: jackfruit, sugar cane, king coconut, timbiri, sandalwood, blue lotus. Painting of the 2nd station of way of cross, by Fr. Jacome Gonsalves

Hymns Fr. Jacome Gonsalves wrote and translated many hymns 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 the 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)

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.