When in India, Do as the Indians

A saint that chose to live like those he desired to convert.  Today's saint gave up all for the good of those in India.

St. John de Britto

Feast day: February 4
Birth: 1647
Death: 1693
Patron of Portugal
Portugal
Aristocratic family

John was born into a wealthy family in Portugal.  He was dedicated to Francis Xavier from an early age.  He joined the Jesuits and quickly went off to the mission fields of India.  He soon gave up all that he knew to convert souls to the faith.

John was imprisoned in 1684 and expelled from the country.  He returned to Lisbon and worked to recruit other missionaries.  He eventually returned to India with 24 other missionaries.  His missionary attempted to establish an Indian Catholic Church that was relatively free of European cultural domination. As such, John learned the native languages, went about dressed in yellow cotton, and abstained from all meat and wine.

John's efforts were very successful and he would later convert the prince of the region who had several wives.  John convinced him to give up all but one of his wives.  This created a problem as one of the wives was niece to the neighboring king.  This king decided to persecute Christians in answer to this decision.  John would be numbered among the Christians killed at this time.