employee, and because of that his family came to reside inside the fort. Garcia studied at the Jesuit school in Fort Bassein and helped in their (Church of the Holy Name of Jesus), now known as St. Gonsalo Garcia Church. Here Garcia came into contact with the Jesuit priest, Sebastião Gonsalves, who became a friend and guide throughout his life. During his stay with the Jesuits, he learned grammar, philosophy and Roman history. Lay missionary In 1580 Garcia left Bassein with some Jesuit missionaries headed to join their mission in Japan. He quickly acquired a knowledge of the language. As a missionary, he went about in public places drawing children to himself by his amiable disposition, by his fluency in the language of the country and by his kindness. He served faithfully as a catechist for eight years. Missionary-turned-merchant On leaving the Jesuits, Garcia went to the city of Alacao. There he established himself as a merchant. Gradually, his business transactions expanded and he was able to found new establishments. His commercial relations brought him into contact with all the ranks of Japanese society. The business flourished and he gained great wealth. During his frequent visits to Manila he made the acquaintance of the Franciscan Friars, and being drawn more and more towards them, he joined them as a lay brother. A Franciscan preacher Garcia was very much delighted when he was accepted into the Franciscan order. In Manila, he came into contact with the Franciscan missionary, Friar Pedro Bautista, who remained his companion until their shared death. Garcia started his career as a catechist in Manila. The main advantage for him was his ability to speak the Japanese language. From the different parts of Japan, people began to send him invitations to return. It was at this time that the King of Spain wanted to send a delegation to Japan. The Spanish Governor of Manila selected Peter Baptist as the leader of the delegation, and, since he did not know the Japanese language, Garcia was selected as his translator as well as his companion. Garcia was so happy with this offer that he immediately accepted the responsibility. The missionaries left Manila on 26 May 1592. In Japan, Garcia became the center of attraction, as he knew the Japanese language well. After facing some initial difficulties the Franciscans settled in Japan and began their missionary work in Kyoto, Osaka, etc.