Thomas Stephens (missionary)

Thomas Stephens, born c.1549 in Bushton (England) and died in 1619 in Salcete, Goa (India), was an English Jesuit priest and missionary in Portuguese India, writer and linguist (focusing on Marathi and Konkani).

Father Thomas Stephens, educated at Oxford, was one of the earliest Western Christian missionaries to India. He, along with Roberto Nobili helped in converting top class of Indian Society by adopting local practices and writing books in local languages to convince local people. He wrote Kristapurana (Story of Christ) while Nobili is considered to have written Ezourvedam - an Adaptation of Yajurvedam in Tamil, introducing Christ (Ezous) to the reader in terms of the Indian belief system of the time.

The son of a merchant, Stephens was born in Bushton, Wiltshire, England, and studied in Oxford before becoming a Catholic. He went to Rome where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1575. He did some philosophical studies at the Collegio Romano before departing for Lisbon, en route for Goa which he reached on 24 October 1579, probably the first Englishman to set foot on Indian soil. This is, however, disputed by G. Schurhammer and others. After a few months of theological studies he was ordained priest in 1580. He learned to read and write in Konkani and Marathi.

He was superior of Salcete (1590–1596) and in such capacity had to handle the aftermath of the death of the so-called martyrs of Cuncolim (1583). Except for a year in Vasai (Bassein), Portuguese holding north of Bombay (Mumbai), he spent all his pastoral years in Salcete, being parish priest in Margao, Benaulim, Marmugao, Navelim and several other places. He died in 1619.

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