Gonçalo da Silveira
Encyclopedia
Gonçalo da Silveira was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary in southern Africa.
, Portugal
, about 40 miles (64.4 km) from Lisbon
. He was the tenth child of Dom Luís da Silveira, first count of Sortelha, and Dona Beatriz Coutinho, daughter of Dom Fernando Coutinho, Marshal of the Kingdom of Portugal. Losing his parents in infancy, he was brought up by his sister Filipa de Vilhena and her husband the Marquis of Távora
.
He was educated by the Franciscans of the monastery of Santa Margarida until 1542, when he went to finish his studies in the University of Coimbra, but he had been there little more than a year when he was received into the Society of Jesus by Fr. Miron, rector of the Jesuit college at Coimbra
.
He was appointed provincial of India in 1555. The appointment was approved by St. Ignatius Loyola a few months before his death. Gonçalo's term of government in India lasted three years. He used to say that God had given him the great grace of unsuitability for government - apparently basing this on a certain want of tact in dealing with human weakness.
The new provincial António Quadros sent him to the unexplored mission field of south-east Africa. Landing at Sofala
on 11 March, 1560, Gonçalo proceeded to Otongwe near Cape Correntes. There, during his stay of seven weeks, he instructed and baptized the Makaranga chief, Gamba and about 450 natives of his kraal. Towards the end of the year he started up the Zambezi River, on his expedition to the capital of the Monomotapa which appears to have been the N'Pande kraal, close by the M'Zingesi River, a southern tributary of the Zambezi. He arrived there on 26 December, 1560, and remained until his death. During this period he baptized the chief and a large number of his subjects. Some Arabs from Mozambique
agitated against the missionaries, and Silveira was strangled in his hut by order of the chief.
The expedition sent to avenge his death never reached its destination, while his apostolate came to an abrupt end from a want of missionaries to carry on his work.
Life
Gonçalo da Silveira was born at AlmeirimAlmeirim
Almeirim is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 222.0 km² and a total population of 22,434 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 10,520.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Santarém District....
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, about 40 miles (64.4 km) from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. He was the tenth child of Dom Luís da Silveira, first count of Sortelha, and Dona Beatriz Coutinho, daughter of Dom Fernando Coutinho, Marshal of the Kingdom of Portugal. Losing his parents in infancy, he was brought up by his sister Filipa de Vilhena and her husband the Marquis of Távora
Marquis of Tavora
Count of São João da Pesqueira was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 21 March 1611, by King Philip II of Portugal , and granted to Dom Luís Álvares de Távora, Lord of Távora.In the 17th century this family received new honours: a royal decree of King Afonso VI of...
.
He was educated by the Franciscans of the monastery of Santa Margarida until 1542, when he went to finish his studies in the University of Coimbra, but he had been there little more than a year when he was received into the Society of Jesus by Fr. Miron, rector of the Jesuit college at Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
.
He was appointed provincial of India in 1555. The appointment was approved by St. Ignatius Loyola a few months before his death. Gonçalo's term of government in India lasted three years. He used to say that God had given him the great grace of unsuitability for government - apparently basing this on a certain want of tact in dealing with human weakness.
The new provincial António Quadros sent him to the unexplored mission field of south-east Africa. Landing at Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
on 11 March, 1560, Gonçalo proceeded to Otongwe near Cape Correntes. There, during his stay of seven weeks, he instructed and baptized the Makaranga chief, Gamba and about 450 natives of his kraal. Towards the end of the year he started up the Zambezi River, on his expedition to the capital of the Monomotapa which appears to have been the N'Pande kraal, close by the M'Zingesi River, a southern tributary of the Zambezi. He arrived there on 26 December, 1560, and remained until his death. During this period he baptized the chief and a large number of his subjects. Some Arabs from Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
agitated against the missionaries, and Silveira was strangled in his hut by order of the chief.
The expedition sent to avenge his death never reached its destination, while his apostolate came to an abrupt end from a want of missionaries to carry on his work.