Saint José De Anchieta

Biography

Saint José de Anchieta, also known as the Apostle of Brazil, was born on March 19, 1534, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. He came from a wealthy and prominent family, and there is a possibility that he was related to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Anchieta was educated in Portugal and joined the Jesuits in 1551 when he was only 17 years old. Due to a dislocated spine suffered in his youth, he experienced constant pain throughout his life. In the hope that the climate in Brazil would improve his physical condition, he was sent there as a missionary upon joining the Jesuits. However, his back never fully recovered. On July 13, 1553, Anchieta arrived in Brazil, along with the Jesuit Emanuel Nóbrega. They arrived at Piratininga on the feast day of Saint Paul, which led them to name the mission São Paulo. This mission later became the city of São Paulo. During his time in Brazil, Anchieta had his first encounter with the Tupi Indians, who lived on the outskirts of the settlement. He quickly became adept at their language and spent two decades working on a grammar and dictionary used by Portuguese settlers and missionaries. In 1554, Anchieta was taken hostage by the Tamoyo tribe and held for five months. During his captivity, he composed a Latin poem in honor of the Blessed Virgin, despite having no writing supplies. He wrote the verses in wet sand and memorized them. Once he returned to São Vicente, he committed all 4,172 lines to paper. Anchieta's linguistic skills, dedication, and missionary work extended beyond language and poetry. He converted the Maramomis tribe to Christianity and composed plays for his students to perform. These plays, written in Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Tupi, were the first dramatic works written in Brazil and earned him the title of "Father of Brazilian national literature." In 1577, Anchieta became the Jesuit provincial. He emphasized the importance of acquiring virtues rather than relying solely on a burning desire for missionary work. In his letters to fellow missionaries, he advised, "You must come with a bag-full of virtues." Saint José de Anchieta died on June 9, 1597, in Reritigba (Anchieta), Brazil, from natural causes. His heroic virtues were recognized by Pope Pius VI on August 10, 1786, who declared him venerable. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 22, 1980, and finally canonized by Pope Francis on April 3, 2014, through equipollent canonization. While he is not associated with a particular patronage, Saint José de Anchieta is revered as the National Apostle of Brazil due to his significant contributions to the country's missionary and cultural development.