[Goanet] Locu Sinai
Ole Bernardinho, Regretfully I must say that I did not find anything new in the snippet that you found interesting. In my translation of Shenoy Goembab's The Triumph of Konkani at page 17-18, you will find the following: When a Brahmin was converted, the joy of the priest was akin to that of a father at the birth of his first son. The Portuguese celebrations, which followed the conversions of Lakhu Brahmin by the Jesuit priest Gaspar Barzeu in 1548, were befitting a Maharaja or a Viceroy of today. Barzeu babtized Lakhu, his wife and grandson, all at the same time in St. Paul's church with great fanfare. On that occasion, the Governor himself stood as Lakhu's godfather. In order to ensure that a minimal change would occur in Lakhu's Konkani name, he was called Lucas. After the christening, he was taken in a procession around town astride a beautiful caparisoned Arabian horse. His route was decorated with twigs of trees, white tender shoots of coconut palms, and silk cloth. On the way, he was saluted by Portuguese nobles amidst shouts of 'viva'. There were cannonades and pealing of church bells all around. This celebration went on for full eight days. The reference cited for this is: Oriente conquistado a Jesu Christo, Lisboa, tomo 1, conquista 1, div. 1, para 43. It is more likely that Lucas changed his religion not because he found the Christian doctrine better than his native one, but in order to save his lucrative job of tax collector. The shrewd Saraswats are reported to have hit upon an ingenious method of making the best of a bad bargain, a method which ensured that heads I win, tails you lose. Half the brothers would embrace Christianity and stay on to look after their properties in Goa and the other half would migrate with their gods. This opportunistic 'conversion' is perhaps at the very root of the survival of caste discrimination among Goan Catholics. In many ways, it was encouraged by the Church too! Sebastian Borges On 24 Apr 2010 Bernado Colaco ole_...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: Referring to Lucas you are probably right or wrong and I am wrong or right. I found the historical snippet interesting and posted it on GN since so much Goan history is discussed in all forms nowadays without mentioning the first Goan Catholic. ? BC
Re: [Goanet] Goanet] Locu Sinai
Olé BC, please come down to AD! We have an apt saying in Konkani: When you pelt a stone at a dog, whether it is hit or not, it always limps on its left leg. For some people today, Devanagari script has become the left leg! (;-)) History might be a joke to you but to me it is a serious matter. I do get confused when I google for this topic and get the following in eight random sites: (1) The first missionaries sent to India after the discovery of the sea route were some Dominican Friars who came as chaplains of the Fleet on Albuquerque's ships. Soon a church dedicated to St. Catherine was set up after the conquest. The significance being the victorious conquest of Goa on St. Catherine's day, November 25th 1510. The next group that was more successful in propagating Christianity was the Franciscans, who arrived in Goa in 1517. For the next quarter century they were active in conversions not only in Goa but also the bordering areas of India. Upon hearing of this success, Pope Paul II subsequently raised the status of Goa to an Episcopal. He appointed the First Bishop to take charge who unfortunately never made it to India as he died soon after appointment. The Pope then appointed the Episcopal authority to Dom Fr. João de Albuquerque, who took charge of the diocese in 1538. The most successful group to arrive soon after were the Jesuits of the newly formed Society of Jesus. With the arrival of St. Francis Xavier S.J., one of its founders, the activity of the Jesuits went into overdrive. (2) In 1542, St. Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus set foot in Goa and noticed the newly converted Christians were practising their old (often pagan) customs and traditions. (3) The wives of the Muslim soldiers were taken prisoners. They were, then, instructed in the faith and baptized and given in marriage to the bachelors in Albuquerque's army. Three Franciscan Friars, José Alemão, Rui Gomes and Francisco da Rocha accompanied Albuquerque in this expedition. Friar Francisco da Rocha was appointed 1st Parish-Priest of the City of Goa and in this capacity celebrated these baptisms and marriages. (4) Friar António de Lauro, who came to India with twelve Friars and became the First Franciscan Commissary of India in the City of Goa in 1518. In a short time, they baptized about 800 Hindus and the number might have been larger if it had not been for the secular clergy who went about opposing them, placing obstacles in their way, frustrating their desires and their services of God. Because of this problem, the Commissary asked the King of Portugal to order that they be favoured and granted powers to gather the newly converted men and women in their Friary so that they may be taught the things of the faith. He also requested the Monarch to forbid Hindu Yogis from entering the Island. He also writes to the King that a quantity of rice should be given as alms to the Gentiles and conversions will multiply rapidly. However, Fr. Nicholas Lancillotto was critical of this policy and in 1547 wrote to Ignatius of Loyola saying that those who become Christians do so purely for temporal interests and without any good purpose. Those who were slaves became Christians to attain freedom; others became Christians because of the material gifts offered to them. Nevertheless, it was the poor who were the first to be baptized because they were attracted by the charity of the missionaries who at the same time preached them the Gospel. (5) The first measure was the breaking of the temples. Between 1526 and 1541, the entire villagers of Daugim at the eastern extremity of Tiswadi, pulled down their temple and became Chris¬tians and a Church of Mother of God was built on the site. King João III ordered that the temples be demolished and that not one be left in the whole of the Island of Goa and its limits. Nor should the Gentiles be allowed to perform any Gentile ceremony in the land under his dominion, so that by this merciful rigour they would be made to forget the gentile cult and be converted to the Holy Faith. The first Provision of the law is that of 30th June 1541. This Order was carried out immediately and in the same year on the Island of Tiswadi. (6)Meanwhile, conversions to Christianity started by the Franciscans gathered pace when St.Francis Xavier founded the Jesuit Mission in 1542. (7) By 1543, the temples on the islands of Tiswadi, Chorão, Divar, Jua and Vansi were destroyed. (8) Around 1548, the head tax-collector, LOKU (who became Lucas de Sá), who had been very prominent among those who exhorted the people not to become Christians, himself became a Christian. After a brief prepara¬tion, he was received into the Church together with his wife and four others, two of them were village elders. The Baptism was celebrated with great pomp and was attended by several leading Hindus. The example of Loku was taken by other Hindus and between 1548
[Goanet] Locu Sinai
Hi Sebs, I am not to sure if you know that cruelty to animals could lead you to being leashed by Maneka Gandhi ( maybe you will like it). Referring to Lucas you are probably right or wrong and I am wrong or right. I found the historical snippet interesting and posted it on GN since so much Goan history is discussed in all forms nowadays without mentioning the first Goan Catholic. BC We have an apt saying in Konkani: When you pelt a stone at a dog, whether it is hit or not, it always limps on its left leg. For some people today, Devanagari script has become the left leg! (;-)) History might be a joke to you but to me it is a serious matter.? I do get confused when I google for this topic and get the following in eight random sites:?
[Goanet] Locu Sinai
Hi Sebs, What is more confusing is devanagiri script! BC This post is even more confusing.? 1548 is a part of the 1540's.? But why do we need to believe? Are written records not available?
[Goanet] Locu Sinai
The reference below relates to the conversion of Locu Sinai. It is believed that conversions started in 1540's Documentação Indica, vol. I, doc. 50, pp. 325-327; Padre Silva Rego, op. cit., vol. IV, pp. 131-132 BC
Re: [Goanet] Locu Sinai
This post is even more confusing. 1548 is a part of the 1540's. But why do we need to believe? Are written records not available? Afonso de Albuquerque is reported to have married off the widows of Adilshahi warriors to his Portuguese soldiers. Were these women not baptized before their marriage? Or would they not count as Goans, so that Locu Sinai becomes the first Goan? I think we need the intervention of a historian here. Sebastian Borges On 21 Apr 2010 Bernado Colaco ole_...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: The reference below relates to the conversion of Locu Sinai. It is believed that conversions started in 1540's ? Documenta??o Indica, vol. I, doc. 50, pp. 325-327; Padre Silva Rego, op. cit., vol. IV, pp. 131-132 ? BC Sebastian Borges
Re: [Goanet] Locu Sinai the first Goan Catholic
Dear friends, This information is intriguing. Does it mean that in the first 38 years of Portuguese rule not a single Goan was converted? I wish a knowledgeable historian would throw some light on this aspect. Sebastian Borges On 20 Apr 2010 Bernado Colaco ole_...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: According to Goan historical facts Locu Sinai was the first convert into Christinaity. The precise date being 13 of December 1548. Locu was named after the Governor Garcia Sa and called Lucas Sa. ? Taken from: Familias Goesas - By Pedro Costa. ? BC Sebastian Borges
[Goanet] Locu Sinai the first Goan Catholic
According to Goan historical facts Locu Sinai was the first convert into Christinaity. The precise date being 13 of December 1548. Locu was named after the Governor Garcia Sa and called Lucas Sa. Taken from: Familias Goesas - By Pedro Costa. BC
