John the Britto 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 1621, studying at the famous University of Coimbra. He travelled to missions of Madurai in South India, present day of Tamil Nadu way back in 1673 and preached the Christian religion in the region of Maravar Country. He renamed himself as Arul Anandar in Tamil. The ruler of the Marawar country imprisoned him in 1684. Having been expelled, he returned to Lisbon in 1687 and worked as a mission procurator. King Pedro II wanted him to stay on, but in 1690 he returned to the Marawar 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 and lived like a Sanyasi, abstaining himself from every kind of animal food and wine.
St. John de Britto tried to teach the catholic faith in categories and concepts that would make sense to the people he taught. This method met with remarkable success. Britto remained a strict vegan until the end of his life rejecting meat, fish, eggs and living only on legumes, fruits and herbs.
John the Britto’s preaching led to the conversion of Thadiyathewan, a marawar prince, who had several wives. But once, a serious problem arose. One of the wives was a niece of the neighbouring king who took up her quarrel and began a general persecution of Christians. De Britto and the Catechists were taken to the capital the Brahmins clamoring for his death.
He was executed at Oriyur on 4th Feb 1693. Britto was beatified by Pope Pius IX on 21st August 1853. He was canonized by Pope Pius XII on 22nd June 1947. St. John de Britto’s feast day is 4th February, the day of his death.
St. Britto High School in Goa is named after Britto as he lived there for 7 months to complete his theological studies at St. Paul’s College in Old Goa.

Otilia Clovis Costa