The East Indian Community

The East Indian community now have their own patron saint - Saint Gonsalo Garcia.

The Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP), a welfare organization of the community took the decision to have a patron saint of their own during their managing committee meeting.      – courtesy Midday dated 07feb2013

About saint Gonsalo Garcia –

Revered as a holyman, saint Gonsalo Garcia was born in Ghas village in Vasai 400 years ago. Being a holy person, he had gone to enlighten people in Nagasaki (in Japan) and was martyred there while spreading the teachings of Christ. Saint Garcia was born in Vasai to an Indian mother and a Portuguese father and is the first Indian saint. To keep his teachings alive, every year we have a feast on his birth anniversary which is February 6.  The MGP plan to request the Archdiocese of Bombay to dedicate a church or chapel in Mumbai to saint Gonsalo Garcia between Colaba and Borivli, although there is a church dedicated to him in Vasai. A museum is also slated to open at Manori in May along with a statue of the saint depicting a brief history of his life.