Jacome Gonsalves
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Jacome Gonsalves, CO (Devanagari
Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
: पाद्री झाकॉम गोनसाल्विश;
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
: Padre Jacome Gonçalves;
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
: ஜாகோமே கொன்சால்வேஸ் அருட்தந்தை; Sinhala: ජාකොමේ ගොන්සාල්වෙස් පියතුමා ''Jakome Gonsalves Piyathuma'') was an
Oratorian An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...
priest and missionary in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, then known as Ceylon. Gonsalves arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, when the Dutch were imposing
Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...
as the official religion after defeating the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
. He also helped
Joseph Vaz Joseph Vaz, CO (21 April 165116 January 1711) was a Portuguese Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Originally from Sancoale in Portuguese Goa, Vaz arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, a time when the Dutch had ...
in missionary work. He was proficient in the local Sinhala and
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
Languages. He is known as the "Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka" because of his tremendous literary output. He had written many books,
prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
s,
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s and translated many
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
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 Goan Catholics () are an ethno-religious community adhering to the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani l ...
couple living in the parish of Our Lady of Piety (
Piedade, Goa Piedade is an island village located in Ilhas (also known as Tiswadi), a northern district in the state of Goa, India, and named after Our Lady of Compassion. The name comes from the Portuguese word , which means "compassion". It lies 23 km ...
). 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 robably Saint Paul's College, Goa">Saint_Paul's_College,_Goa.html" ;"title="robably Saint Paul's College, Goa">robably 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 of Alexandria, Old Goa, Cathedral of St. Catherine. He decided to enter the
Oratorian An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...
Congregation of Goa. He was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the University of St Paul's in Goa robably 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

He left Goa on 9 May 1705 and reached Sri Lanka on 30 August 1705, arriving at
Talaimannar Talaimannar (; ) is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island. Transport Sri Lanka's northern railway line was destroyed, disrupted or neglected during the 30-year Sri Lankan civil war, which ended in May 2009 ...
. At the time, he knew
Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
,
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
,
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
. During the long journey he studied Tamil. He mastered this language during his first assignment on the islands of
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places: India * Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala Sri Lanka * Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka ** Mannar Island, an island within the district ** Mannar Bridge, a bridge conne ...
, Arippu, Musali and other places in the Munnar district. He also learnt
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
. Fr
Joseph Vaz Joseph Vaz, CO (21 April 165116 January 1711) was a Portuguese Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Originally from Sancoale in Portuguese Goa, Vaz arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, a time when the Dutch had ...
sent him to
Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
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 Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...
,
Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...
, and
Kalutara Kalutara (, ) or Kalutota is a major city in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is also the administrative capital of Kalutara District. It is located approximately south of the capital Colombo. The city holds a unique posit ...
from February, 1709. In the same year, he converted more than 1300 to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. First months of 1710, he stayed at
Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
. While he was servicing between
Sitawaka Avissawella (, ) is a township in Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council, situated on the A4 route from Colombo to Ratnapura, Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, approximately 40 km air distance and 48.1 km road distance from ...
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. Due to the dislocating of his
temporomandibular joint In anatomy, the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the two joints connecting the jawbone to the skull. It is a bilateral Synovial joint, synovial articulation between the temporal bone of the skull above and the condylar process of mandible be ...
in 1711, he went to the royal doctors, then to Puttlam, Sitawaka, and Colombo. Thereafter he stayed at Kandy till 1713. He built a church near Palace of Hanguranketa. And then he went to service in Negombo and Colombo. He was appointed as the Sub Chief of Bishop of
Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...
and as the chief of the all Oratorians in Sri Lanka. He serviced in the Northern areas till 1725. Thereafter he serviced in Colombo and nearby areas. He serviced as a peacemaker of King in 1726. He also took place in stopping a revolt that was going to be in 1729. Though the chiefs of Congregation of Oratory (Goa) asked him to return to Goa, through Bishop of Cochin, Fr Jacome Gonsalves rejected the appeal, thinking of his service at Sri Lanka. He wrote many of his works at
Bolawatta Bolawatta is a populated place located in Sri Lanka. The location is situated 130 kilometers west (284°) of the approximate center of Sri Lanka and 40 kilometers north (2°) of the capital Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and ...
, near
Negombo Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...
. Since there was no printing press, he employed 12 Sinhala clerks to copy his works. Fr Jacome Gonsalves has been called: "the most successful missionary that this island (Sri Lanka) ever had, the creator of Catholic literature in Ceylon, whose name is still held in benediction and whose literary works in Sinhalese and Tamil are still in daily use in the church of this island."


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 Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
, 5 in
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
, and 1 in
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
.


Deva Vedha Puranaya (දේව වේද පුරාණය)

දේව වේද පුරාණය (''Deva Veda Puranaya ='' Divine History'') is a c''ompendium of the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
in 2 parts, including 28 chapters under පුරාණ දේව වාක්‍ය (''Purana Deva Wakya = Old Testament)'' and 2 chapters under අභිනව දේව වාක්‍ය ''(Abhinava Deva Wakya = New Teastament)''. With a content of 400 printed pages, this was the largest book that was written in Kandyan Era. This has been influenced by Thomas Stephens' ''Khristapurana''. 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
illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...
s and
allusion Allusion, or alluding, is a figure of speech that makes a reference to someone or something by name (a person, object, location, etc.) without explaining how it relates to the given context, so that the audience must realize the connection in the ...
s. His description of the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...
includes local trees:
jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...
,
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
, king coconut, timbiri, sandalwood, blue lotus.


Deva Vedha Sankshapaya (දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය)

දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය (''Deva Veda Sankshapaya ='' Summary of Divine History) is a summary of ''Deva Veda Puranaya'' written in 1713. This has been written as a
questionnaire A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of ...
. Suvishesha Visheshanaya (සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය) සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය (''Suvishesha Visarjanaya ='' Gospel Resolution) is a book written in 1730. It consists of
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
s read on
Sundays The Sundays were an English alternative rock band, formed in Bristol. The band's lineup consisted of lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler, guitarist David Gavurin, bassist Paul Brindley, and drummer Patrick Hannan. Percussionist Lindsay Jamieson was ...
, debt festivals and
feasts A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival constitutes ...
of important
saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
s, and
sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...
s on those days.


Dukprapthi Prasangaya (දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය)

දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය (''Dukpraprthi Prasangaya'' = Sermon of torture) is a book written in 1728, on torture of Jesus. It has 9
sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...
s which are divided among 7 weeks including 6 weeks of
Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
and
Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
. This has done a great job to the
liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
in Lent. Here ප්‍රසංගය (''prasangaya'' = show) has come from Tamil word பிரசங்கம் (''pirasangam'') which means sermon. So it means Sermon of Torture. In early years, this was used as the script for Easter plays.


Dharmodyanaya (ධර්මෝද්‍යානය)

ධර්මෝද්‍යානය (''Dharmodyanaya'') is a book written on
biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
of Saints. This has been written in 1735.


Prathiharyawaliya (ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය)

ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය (''Prathiharyawaliya'') is a book written on some of the
miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
done by Jesus which are mentioned in Holy Bible, in 1732.


Sukurtha Darpanaya (සුකෘත දර්පණය)

සුකෘත දර්පණය (''Sukurtha Darpanaya'') is a book written in between 1733 - 1740, to invite to a life of faith, and to show the value of a Christian life of faith.


Deva Neethi Visarjanaya (දේව නීති විසර්ජනය)

දේව නීති විසර්ජනය (''Deva Neethi Visarjanaya'' = Resolution of divine laws) is a book written in between 1720 - 1730, on the
last judgement The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
of God.


Veda Kavya (වේද කාව්‍ය)

වේද කාව්‍ය (''Veda Kavya'') Veda Kavyaya is a poetic composition, composed in 1725. It covers the history of the world from the creation to ascension of Christ into heaven.


Agnana Aushadhaya (අඥාන ඖෂධය)

අඥාන ඖෂධය (''Agnana Aushadhaya'' = Medicine for fools) is book written as a
medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
for the expels. Many have converted into
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
after reading this. It has been written in dialogues.


Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha (දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත)

දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත (''Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha'' = Pasam book of nine sermons) is the Dukprapthi Prasangaya, written as
poems Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
. 9 sermons are written in 9 chapters, with about 20 - 30 poems per each. And the 7th sermon includes 76 poems and 8th sermon includes 85 poems. In total there are 357 poems. This has been written in between 1712 - 1743, to get rid of the uniformity in Dukprapthi Prasangaya.


Kristhiyani Palliya (ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය)

ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය (''Kristiyani Palliya'' = Christian Church) is a book of
prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
s written for the day to day usage of Catholics. It contains prayers for healing of humans as well as animals, prayers to protect the agriculture from pests, and prayers for saints. It has been written in between 1715 - 1730.


Mathara Prathyakshaya (මාතර ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂය)

මාතර ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂය (''Mathara Prathyakshaya'' = Manifest of Matara) is a book written rejecting the teachings of
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, and giving a correct idea, in 1733.


Mangala Geethaya (මංගල ගීතය)

මංගල ගීතය (''Mangala Geethaya'' = Festival song) is a book containing
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s to Jesus, Mary and Saints in 1730. This was used for liturgical purposes.


Ananda Kalippuwa (ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව)

ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව (''Ananda Kalippuwa'') is a song book written in 1728. It is the first song book ever written in Sri Lanka. It contained the songs which told about the frivolousness of the life. This is venerated as a great book containing songs. It contained some songs which denounced the corruptions in the king's palace and council farcically.


Budu Mula (බුදු මුල)

බුදු මුල (''Budu Mula'' = Roots of buddhism) is a book written in 1737, showing the weak points of
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, and to show the right way to the people at palace.


Gnanangjanaya (ඥානාංජනය)

ඥානාංජනය (''Gnanangjanaya'' = Knowledge the medicine to eye) is a book written in 1738. It contains 12
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
s (Religious sermons) to refresh, lighten the spiritual vision of Catholics. These meditations are written to be said on
retreats The meaning of a spiritual retreat can be different for different religious communities. Spiritual retreats are an integral part of many Buddhist, Christian and Sufi communities. There are many different types of spiritual retreats such as welln ...
. It shows the value and objective of humanity, what is
sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
, how to get rid of sin and the results of sin.


Dictionaries

* සිංහල - ප්‍රතිකාල් අකාරාදිය (Sinhala Prathikaal Akaaradiya = Sinhala Portuguese
Dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...
) 1730 * ප්‍රතිකාල් - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Sinhala Dictionary) 1720 * ප්‍රතිකාල් - දෙමළ - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Demala Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Tamil Sinhala Dictionary) 1735


Other Books (Sinhala)

* සත්‍ය උපදේශ (Sathya Upadesha)


Tamil Books

* சட்டிய வேதாகம சம்க்ஷேபம் (Sattiya Vedagama Samshepam) * கிறிஸ்டியானி ஆலயம் (Kiristiyani Aalayam) - The oldest prayer book in Tamil in Sri Lanka * வியாகுல பிரசங்கம் (Viyakula Pirasangam) - Tamil version of Dukprapthi Prasangaya * சுவிசேஷ விரித்துறை (Suvisesha Viriththurai) - Tamil version of Suvishesha Visarjanaya


Hymns

Fr. Jacome Gonsalves wrote and translated many
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s 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)


Death

Fr. Jacome Gonsalves came to Bolawatta church in 1740. There he wrote and published many books. He chose there as the meeting place of the all missionaries who were in Sri Lanka. He died on 17 July 1742, at an age of 66. He was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Assumption, Bolawatta.


Reliquaries

His tomb was opened in 1852, by Fr. Florentine Gracia. Some of his bones were found there and a bone was kept in the altar of the new church. And then the tomb was sealed. When it was opened again, his cross and a tooth were taken out. The tooth has been kept in the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Nainamadama. It is owned by Muthunamagonnage Niroshan Pranadu for generations.


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.


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonsalves, Jacome 1676 births 1742 deaths Indian Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in Sri Lanka People from Dutch Ceylon People of the Kingdom of Kandy 18th-century Sri Lankan people