José de Anchieta
| Saint Joseph of Anchieta, S.J. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Apostle of Brazil Priest, Missionary, Religious |
|
| Born |
19 March 1534 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| Died | 9 June 1597 (aged 63) Reritiba, Espírito Santo, Governorate General of Brazil, Portuguese Empire |
| Venerated in |
Catholic Church (Brazil, Canary Islands, and the Society of Jesus) |
| Beatified | 22 June 1980, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 3 April 2014 (equivalent canonization), Vatican City, by Pope Francis |
| Major shrine | Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (in Canary Islands) and National Shrine of San José de Anchieta (in Brazil) |
| Feast | 9 June |
| Attributes | Gospel Book, Crucifix and Cane |
| Patronage | Catechists and compatrono of Brazil |
José de Anchieta y Díaz de Clavijo, S.J. (19 March 1534 – 9 June 1597) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the second half of the 16th century. A highly influential figure in Brazil's history in the first century after its European discovery, Anchieta was one of the founders of São Paulo in 1554 and of Rio de Janeiro in 1565. He is the first playwright, the first grammarian and the first poet born in the Canary Islands, and the father of Brazilian literature. Anchieta was also involved in the religious instruction and conversion to the Catholic faith of the Indian population. His efforts along with those of another Jesuit missionary, Manuel da Nóbrega, at Indian pacification were crucial to the establishment of stable colonial settlements in the colony.
With his book Arte de gramática da língua mais usada na costa do Brasil, Anchieta became the first person to provide an orthography to the Old Tupi language most commonly spoken by the indigenous people of Brazil.
Anchieta is commonly known as "the Apostle of Brazil". He was canonized by Pope Francis on 3 April 2014. He was the second native of the Canary Islands, after Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur, also a missionary to Latin America, declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Anchieta is also considered the third saint of Brazil.
Anchieta was born on 19 March 1534, in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain, to a wealthy family. He was baptized on 7 April 1534 in the Parish of Our Lady of Remedies (now La Laguna Cathedral).
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