The priest and the queen

De Saa had not been long among them when the persecution fell. Men who were certain the priest was hiding money came for him one night while the fever was on him, dragged him from his bed, struck him, bound him with ropes and carried him before the Governor, who held him a while and then drove him out of the district. A fellow Jesuit, Fr Pierre Martin, came upon him months afterward still broken from it, and set down what he saw: “the traces of the beatings, and how all his teeth had been knocked out.” What brought him back was a word from a throne. Fr Laynez carried his case to Mangammal, the queen who then ruled Madurai, and she let him return to Vadakkankulam.

DocumentedThis moment rests on 2 sources.

Ferroli 1951

Fr. Martin saw the traces of the beatings, and how all his teeth had been knocked out. Later on Fr. Laynez interceded with the Queen of Madura, Mangammal, and Fr. De Sa was allowed to return to Vadakenkulam.

What this source establishes

The ordeal of the parish's first priest, from de Saa's own letter of 14 October 1713. Men who believed he was hiding money dragged him from a sick-bed, beat him and drove him out of the district; Fr Pierre Martin, seeing him in June 1700, found all his teeth knocked out. He was restored to Vadakkankulam only after Fr Laynez appealed to Mangammal, the queen-regent of Madurai. In copyright: quoted, not reproduced.

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