GIOVANNI de BRITTO, Saint. — Missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus. Born in Lisbon to a noble family on 1 March 1647, he served as a page and companion to Prince Peter of Braganza, the future King Peter II.
He entered the novitiate in 1662 and was ordained priest in 1673. In the same year, he embarked for the East Indies, where he was assigned to the mission of Madura.
He first worked in the northern part of this region, in the kingdoms of Gingi and Tanjore, amidst great dangers posed by civil wars and persecutions. He became superior of the mission in 1685 and the following year traveled further south to the kingdom of Marava, where he was arrested, tortured, sentenced to death, and saved only by a palace revolution. At the end of the same year (1686), he was sent to Europe as procurator of the Malabar province, but was prevented by the Portuguese court from going to Rome. He therefore sailed again from Lisbon for the East in 1690, despite the desire of King Peter II to retain him in his service. After making the canonical visitation of the Madura mission, he resumed his work in Marava. However, due to one of the illegitimate wives dismissed by a converted royal prince, the Brahmins incited the king against the missionary. Arrested and brought to court, G. de B. was beheaded at Oreyur on 4 February 1693. He was beatified on 17 February 1852 and canonized by Pius XII on 22 June 1947. His feast is celebrated on 4 February.