By Leon Bent –
Wikipedia gives us a long list of names of saints who were in some way or other, associated with India.
Gonsalo Garcia was born, Gundi Slavus Garcia, in 1557. Documents in the Lisbon Archives (ANTT) describe him as “natural de Agaçaim” (a resident of Agashi village) in Bassein. His father was a Portuguese soldier and his mother a Canarim as the Portuguese called the inhabitants of the Konkan. The papal bull declaring Garcia a saint mentions that he was Basseinite a (a native of Bassein), now known as Vasai, which was, during his time, under Portuguese colonial rule.
He studied at the Jesuit school of Fort Bassein, for eight years, from 1564 to 1572, and helped in their “Igreja do Santo Nome de Jesus”(Church of the Holy Name of Jesus), now known as St. Gonsalo Garcia Church. Here Garcia came into contact with a Jesuit priest, Sebastião Gonsalves, who became a friend and guide throughout his life. During his stay with the Jesuits, he learned grammar, philosophy and Roman history.
Bassein is about 30 miles north of Bombay (now Mumba). The Portuguese ruled this place for about 205 years (1534-1739 A.D). The Portuguese tried to siege Bassein, because they believed that conquering Bassein would provide them a strategic momentum to acquire Diu. A number of rich Portuguese fidalgos living in the different towns were attracted to Bassein’s natural beauty, pleasant climate, and abundant wealth. They came to Bassein and built castle-like palaces in the vicinity of the fortress. Because of these changes the area took on characteristics of a European city. The Portuguese king issued a special order and gave this city the status of ‘Évora’, that is, a city in Portugal. The Portuguese nicknamed the city “Dom Baçaim (Bassein)”. The prosperity of Bassein increased such that, it was considered to be one of the richest cities among the Portuguese colonies in the world, at that time.
At the age of fifteen, Fr. Sebastian took Garcia to Japan. He soon managed to learn the language and since he was seen as an affable person, he soon became popular in the local community as a catechist. He resigned and left for Alcao to set up trade. His business prospered and branches were opened in different locales in Southeast Asia.
Gonsalo’s long cherished dream to be a Jesuit did not materialise, so he moved on to Manila in the Philippines as a lay missionary. He was influenced by a Franciscan priest, Fr. Peter Baptista and soon joined the Seraphic Order as a lay brother. After working with the leprosy patients there, he was formally ordained as a Franciscan ‘Friars Minor at Manila’.
He sailed from the Philippine Islands with other companions under Petrus Baptista, on 26th May, 1592, as an envoy of the Spanish Governor to the Emperor of Japan. After working zealously for the glory of God for more than four years, the Emperor Taiko-Sama, suspecting the missionaries were aiming at the overthrow of his throne, ordered St. Garcia and his companions to be guarded in their Convent at Miaco on 8th December, 1596. Storm clouds were hovering over the horizon of the missionaries!
A few days afterwards, when they were singing vespers, they were apprehended, and with their hands tied behind their backs, were taken to prison. On 3rd January, 1597, the extremities of the left ears of twenty-six confessors, St. Garcia amongst them, were cut off; but were with great respect collected by the Christians. On 5th February of the same year, the day of the martyrdom, Garcia was the first to be extended on, and nailed to, the cross, which was then erected in the middle of those of his companions, in Nagasaki. Two lances piercing his body from one side to the other and passed through the heart, whilst the saint was singing the praises of God during the infliction of the torture. His bloodshed put an end to his sufferings and won for Garcia the martyr’s crown. He was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 1862.
The people of Bassein practised devotion towards the saint, but stopped after the severe persecution to which Christians were subjected to in that region. From about 1739 Gonsalo was totally forgotten, until a well-known writer recently undertook to write the history of the place, and drew the attention of the public to the local Saint. Owing to the praiseworthy endeavours of a secular priest, and the great interest evinced by the then Bishop of Damaun (a Portuguese Colony), now Daman (Union Territory of India), in the promotion of the devotion towards the saint, the feast of St. Garcia is now celebrated annually with great solemnity; pilgrims from all parts of Vasai, Salsette, and Bombay (now Mumbai) flock to the place on this occasion.
St. Gonsalo Garcia Church, in Vasai, was built in 1942 by Msgr. Louise Caitan D’souza, a Goan priest, and renovated in 1957. A week-long feast is celebrated here on 5th February, in his honour. A major shrine of St. Gonsalo Garcia stands prominently in Ghas, a parish in the Vasai Diocese.
Now, this gold nugget! St. Gonsalo Garcia’s memory is kept alive with a College named after him in Vasai. Thomas Dabre, the first Bishop of Vasai, and prominent Theologian, says Gonsalo Garcia’s relevance today, lies in the universalism of his charity and love.
And, this final flourish! The first Catholic Saint of India and the Indian Sub-Continent, and 8th June 2012, marked the 150th Anniversary of his Canonization. He is the Patron of the Vasai Diocese.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.