ධර්මදුතික මෙහෙවර

Blessed Joseph Vaz wanted to set up Church adapted to the country and suited to its needs and circumstances. He himself introduced oriental forms of worship, some prayers and Passion plays. However he entrusted the main task of providing Catholic prayers, hymns and literature in Sinhala and Tamil to his assistant, companion and successor Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez.

Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, like Blessed Joseph Vaz was a Konkani Brahamin by lineage. He had some knowledge of Tamil when he landed in Sri Lanka. He improved this knowledge by reading Tamil classics. He studied Sinhala under learned Buddhist Bhikkus and educated laymen like Gaskone Adikaram. He mastered Sinhala language in no time.

In his missionary activities Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez travelled far and wide in the country. He moved with the high and the low from the Kings in the Kandyan Court to the humble peasant in the village. He treasured Sinhala and Tamil classics and at the same time could appreciate folk art, literature and music.

Fr. Gonsalvez presented Sinhala and Tamil Catholic prayers in a language and style to suit both the erudite and the commoner. His contributions have stood the test of time.