John
de Britto, was born in Lisbon on March 1, 1647 to a noble Portuguese
family. His father died while serving as Viceroy of Brazil. Growing up,
John was a playmate to the future King of Portugal, Pedro II. At
fifteen, the young nobleman applied to join the Society of Jesus into
which he was duly accepted. His talent for academic excellence was soon
noted by his superiors; however, John’s great admiration and devotion to
St. Francis Xavier urged him to apply to serve in the Indian missions.
Amid strong opposition from his family, in 1673 John traveled to Madura
in southern India.
As he traveled throughout India on foot, John
lived austerely. He dressed himself in the saffron cloak and turban of
the native Indians, abstained from eating meat and lived humbly. Through
his holy efforts, John soon became well-known, and developed a group of
catechists. Though the practice of Catholicism was not illegal in
India, John was hated by many because of his faith. He and his followers
were often subjected to agonizing torture, but each time John
miraculously recovered.
In 1683, John was banished from India,
and departed for Portugal. Returning soon after, the ardent missionary
continued in his apostolate for three more years. In 1693, he was again
arrested, tortured and once more commanded to leave India. When he
refused, John was sentenced to death. “I await death, and I await it
with impatience,” he wrote to his superior. “It has always been the
object of my prayers. It forms today the most precious reward of my
labors and my sufferings.”
On February 4, John de Britto was
executed. As he knelt at the execution block, the rajah's order of death
was read aloud. The executioner hesitated, but John said to him, "My
friend, I have prayed to God. On my part, I have done what I should do.
Now do your part.”
John de Britto was canonized in 1947.
Thursday, February 4, 2021
St. John de Britto
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