John de Britto is a saint who was martyred in India. He was born in 1647 in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. John, who lost his father at an early age, was raised by his mother, Donabiatris. He was a playmate of the local princes, often lived in the royal palace. From an early age, John was interested in education, especially in religion.
When John was about eleven years old, he contracted a deadly disease. John’s mother begged for the intercession of Francis Xavier and vowed to wear the attires of the order for a year. Then he was recovered soon. It was this event that inspired the saint to become a member of the Jesuits.
At the age of fifteen, John entered the Jesuit Congregation. He led an exemplary life for all. Letters received from missionaries in India during this period attracted the saint to the missionary field in India. As a result of his long prayers and efforts, he was allowed to go to India. Despite opposition from his mother and the royal family, he survived and arrived in Goa on September 6, 1673.
Soon after his arrival in Goa, he completed his theological studies. Then he reached his long-cherished dream, the Madurai Mission. In the meantime, he had also reached to Kerala. Arriving in Madurai, John imitated the dress and food of the Brahmins. Many people converted to Christianity as a result of John’s work. In just three months, the saint converted 2070 people. As the number of converts increased, so did the number of enemies. John has become an enemy of the King. Soon the king imprisoned the saint and severely persecuted him. The saint was released from prison a few days later with a warning not to set foot in the Marava, country anymore.
Authorities soon summoned John back to Goa. They sent him back to Portugal. However, the saint soon returned to his favorite mission area and began his work. The result was astonishing. A king who has five wives came in front of John for the baptism. He betrayed the other four giving wealth and rights to become a Christian. One of them was the niece of King Ramanadu. She, on the advice of the Brahmins, compelled the king for revenge. The saint was soon imprisoned. He was beheaded on 4 February 4, 1693, after severe torture.