Franciscans might have probably accompanied Alfonso de Albuquerque when he finally took Goa o n 25th November 1510 from Adilshah of Bijapur . They were first to arrive into Goa before all other religious societies. At least it is historically settled that they were in Goa in 1517. It is said that they experienced linguistic barriers to reach out to the people of city of Goa with the message of Jesus. People of the then city of Goa also could not understand the Portuguese language that was used by missionaries for the proclamation of the Gospel. Hence, Franciscans had no other choice other than to learn the local language. This is why it is narrated that the Franciscans gave themselves to the study of Konkani and Marathi. Konkani was called the Lingua da terra of Goa.
By 1567 Pope Pius V had declared that no religious who did not know the language of the place be appointed as the Parish Priest. In 1592 the Provincial Synod of Goa legislated that no priest should be entrusted the office of the parish priest unless he was proficient in the local language. The King of Portugal was also said to be deeply interested in the execution of the order that made the knowledge of local language biding on the priests who were appointed as the parish priests. Hence, the Franciscans took to the study local languages. It means that they studied Konkani in Goa and Malayalam in the Malabar and Tamil in Tamil-Naidu.
It is said that the Franciscan unlike the Jesuit did not write their history and had no printing press to print their work in the local language. Jesuits had three printing presses in India, one in the College of St. Paul in Old Goa, the second in the College of Salcete in Rachol and the third in Ambalacatta in Cochin. Jesuits had the tradition of writing letters and hence, their history can be reconstructed from the letters that are collected in Documenta Indica.
By 1595 we can trace two friars who manifested great knowledge of Konkani. They taught Konkani to their co-friars. They were Amador de Santa Anna , the Rector of Pomburpa and Joao de Sam Mathias , the Rector of Reis-Magos . Historian report that Flos Sanctorum is the only printed Franciscan book in Konkani . A manuscript of this book is preserved in the Paris National Library and a printed copy dated 1607 is treasured at the Ecorial , in Spain.
The Franciscan had four centers that dedicated to the study of Konkani. They were functioning at Reis-Magos (1555), Serula in Bardez (1665), St Francis of Assisi and St Bonaventure College in old Goa (1602). It is said that these centers taught Konkani to the Friars and Cartila de Doctrina Christa , a doctrinal booklet in Konkani.
It is reported that Joao de Sam Mathias , a native of Lisbon who was the 8th Provincial of the Franciscan province of St. Thomas, Goa taught Konkani to his colleagues. Hence, Reis Magos is hailed as the Konkani school of the Franciscans. He is said to have translated the book Symbolum Fidei of St. Robert Bellarmine SJ into Konkani. He is also said to have written the life of Christ, ‘ ‘ Em Lingua Brahamana” in ordinary Konkani. He had also co-authored with Amador de Santa Anna , a treatise on the mysteries of faith. It appears that the above mentioned book is actually the translation of the book Symbolum Fidei of Robert Bellarmine SJ.
Earlier in 1555 Franciscan had founded the rectory of Reis-Mangos, Verem which developed into a college (the famed school of Konkani was within it). When Jeronimo do Espirito Santo became the Custodian, he began teaching Konkani at the College . In the 16th century Gaspar de Sam Miguel a brilliant student of the college of Sam Boaventura (1618) ,in Old Goa, (another Franciscan school of Konkani ) is said to have emerged as great Konkani expert produced by the Franciscan.
Gaspar de Sam Miguel is said to have taught Konkani and preached the Gospel in Konkani with passionate love. He said to have been the vicar of Mapusa and served as the Pai dos Christaos. It was dignity granted by the Portuguese Government on both laity and clergy. The duty of the father of Christians was to protect the new Christians from harassment of the Portuguese Government officials and native enemies.
Gaspar is credited to have written 13 books and poem dedicated to the great Fr. Thomas Stevens. His 13 books dealt with pastoral, doctrinal and linguistic themes. Dr Jose Pereira published syntax Capiosissima that was located in the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. It contained four books of Gaspar’s Syntax and Chritavao de Jesus’ Grammar of Konkani of 1635. They tiled Konkani as the languages of the Bramana. It also had a confessionary in Portuguese and Hindustani. It appears that Gaspar knew Thomas Stevens’ grammar in Konkani. It is said that Christavao de Jesus wrote grammar of Konkani title Arte Grammatical da Lingua Canarina . The manuscript of this work is said to be housed in Library of Oriental Studies in London.
Gaspar de Sam Miguel , Monoel de Banha and Christavao Jesus are credited of writing vocabularies of Konkani for the Franciscans. Prof. Lourdino Rodrigues attributes the Vocabulario Concaini-Portugues to Gaspar de Sam Miguel. This vocabulary is said to be in the Government library Panjim. There is another one this erroneously attributed to the Jesuit with the name Vacabulario Sam Boaventura. It is also said found in Government library, Panjim and is rightly attributed to Gaspar de Sam Miguel.
Unfortunately, Gaspar de Sam Miguel, the great Franciscan master of Konkani is forgotten by Goans as well as the Franciscans. Maybe the Franciscans should begin a Konkani learning or publication center in his honor in Goa. In the 17th century the Franciscan did all that they could to the study of Konkani in Goa and the study of Malayalam and Sinhalese in other centers. While we cannot deny the labors of Franciscans to the development of Konkani, unfortunately some of them also tried to banish Konkani language from study and sacred use in later days. This disinterest in Konkani is said to have led to the removal of the Franciscans from the Parishes and they then are said to have lived in the seven rectories in Bardez. What ever it is no one can deny the pioneering efforts of Franciscans that laid the seeds of the Konkani literature in Goa.
