A life directed towards teaching and the priesthood. This is how we can summarize the trajectory of Father José de Anchieta, born on March 19, 1534, in the city of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Having in its origin the noble ancestry on the part of the father and Jewish on the maternal side, Anchieta was taken to Portugal so that had intellectual training and would not suffer the much more intense persecution of the Court of the Holy Office installed on land Spanish.
His move to the Portuguese domains happened when he was 14 years old, at the same time he studied philosophy at the Colégio das Artes belonging to the University of Coimbra. Three years later, he joined the Society of Jesus to participate in the process of expansion of Christianity in American lands. Upon joining this “army of faith”, he initially exercised the task of celebrating several masses throughout the same day.
His busy life and total devotion to religious tasks compromised his health, he constantly complained of pain in his spine and joints. Obeying the advice of doctors at the time, Father Anchieta came to Brazil accompanying the squad that brought Governor General Duarte da Costa, in 1553. Already in the first year installed in the colonial environment, the devoted cleric participated in the foundation of the first college in São Paulo de Piratininga.
Another interesting action taken by Padre Anchieta upon arriving in Brazilian lands is related to his interest in learning more deeply about the natives' language. With the help of Father Auspicueta, he learned the first terms and expressions of “abanheenga”, a language shared by Tupi and Guaraní Indians. In a short time, he realized that the languages spoken by several tribes had the same root formed by common semantic, grammatical and vocabulary aspects.
His interest in letters was also manifested in the production of an extensive work that included the writing of poetry, sermons, letters, religious plays and the production of a grammar entitled “Grammar Art of the Most Used Language in Costa do Brazil". This concern with the language was of essential importance for the consolidation of the Jesuits' evangelizing project, being that texts and artistic presentations were produced in the native language as a way to facilitate the conversion to Christianity.
During the period in which he lived in Brazilian lands, Anchieta traveled a lot in the regions that today correspond to the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. In 1567, Anchieta reached the position of Provincial, the highest post of the Order of Jesus, which had been vacated after the death of Father Manuel da Nóbrega. From then onwards, Father José de Anchieta walked the entire length of the colonial territory, guiding the activities of the various Jesuit missions throughout Brazil.
José de Anchieta died on June 9, 1597, in the city of Reritiba, located in the captaincy of Espírito Santo. Due to his work in favor of the expansion of Christianity in the Americas, this cleric was known as “apostle of the New World” and “healer of souls and bodies”. In 1980, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II after a slow investigation process. According to the records, Anchieta had performed the “miracle” of converting three people to Christianity in the same day.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biografia/padre-anchieta.htm