Rev. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves, CO (Devanagari Konkani: पाद्री झाकॉम गोनसाल्विश; Portuguese: Padre Jacome Gonçalves; Tamil: ஜாகோமே கொன்சால்வேஸ் அருட்தந்தை; Sinhala: ජාකොමේ ගොන්සාල්වෙස් පියතුමා Jakome Gonsalves Piyathuma) was an Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, when the Dutch were imposing Calvinism as the official religion after defeating the Portuguese. He also helped Joseph Vaz in missionary work. He was proficient in the local Sinhala and Tamil Languages. He is known as the "Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka" because of his tremendous literary output. He had written many books, prayers, hymns and translated many Latin hymns into local languages. Some of his hymns and prayers are in popular use even today among Sinhala and Tamil Catholics. Life Birth Jacome Gonçalves was the eldest son of Tomás Gonçalves and Mariana de Abreu, a Goan Catholic couple living in the parish of Our Lady of Piety (Piedade, Goa). He was born on 8 June 1676. He was a Konkani Brahmin by lineage. His family had been Catholic for many generations, being among the first native converts at the beginning of Portuguese rule in Goa. Education Gonsalves studied at the Jesuit College of Goa. He enrolled in the University of Goa [probably Saint Paul's College, Goa], and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1696 he began theological studies at the Academy of St Thomas Aquinas in Goa, where he also held the post of organist. This seems to have led him to develop a taste for poetry, prose and music. Ordination He was ordained, to the priesthood by Rt. Rev. Agostinho de Anunciação, Archbishop of Goa, in April 1700 at the Cathedral of St. Catherine. He decided to enter the Oratorian Congregation of Goa. He was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the University of St Paul's in Goa [probably the Collegio São Paulo]. He took up his post in January 1705, but relinquished it the same year to go to Sri Lanka. At Sri Lanka He left Goa on 9 May 1705 and reached Sri Lanka on 30 August 1705, arriving at Talaimannar. At the time, he knew Konkani, Portuguese, Latin and Spanish. During the long journey he studied Tamil. He mastered this language during his first assignment on the islands of Mannar, Arippu, Musali and other places in the Munnar district. He also learnt