PERCOTO, ANTONIO MARIA. - Barnabite missionary, bishop of Massul and apostolic vicar of the Kingdoms of Ava and Tavai (Burma), b. at Udine on 25 June 1729, d. at Ava (Burma) on 12 Dec. 1776.
Having entered the Barnabite Order, while still a student of philosophy he compiled a small volume on Devozione al S. Cuore di Gesù (Bologna, 1752; reprinted several times) and conceived “a society of fervent souls” who would endeavour “to honour and to have others honour the Sacred Heart.” Sent to the mission of Ava and Pegù in 1760, he was elected apostolic vicar there (1765) and subsequently consecrated bishop (1768). He was responsible for the first Alphabetum Barmanum seu Bomanum regni Acae, etc.; on the basis of it the first Burmese typefaces were cast by the press of Propaganda; a Catechismo in two versions, major and minor, in the Burmese language (Rome, 1776–85); a Trattato della religione cristiana, refuting the Burmese religion, in the form of a dialogue between a Christian and a talapoin (Rangoon, 1837); the translation from Pali of the Cerimoniale and the Regole of the Talapoins; the translation into Burmese of the books of Genesi, Tobia, the Vangeli, the Lettere of St Paul, and Christian liturgical texts with a commentary on the Mass; a Burmese grammar and a substantial trilingual dictionary: Latin-Portuguese-Burmese.