In 1544, during the Crisis of the Sixteenth Century (1521–1597) in the Jaffna Kingdom, Cankili I killed 600 Catholic converts. Portuguese missionaries attributed the baptism, martyrdom and intercession of the Mannar Martyrs for the rapid conversion and growth of Catholicism in Sri Lanka. In a letter found in the Archives of the Society of Jesus (S.J.) dated 19 December 1561, Anrique Anriquez the first Mannar parish priest (1561–1564) gives details to how rapidly the island was converted, and churches and hospital built all around the island. The Christians of the island of Mannar were held up as a model. He wrote since their arrival, over a thousand people converted to Christianity. A Sri Lankan trilingual film named Praana ('Praana' in Sinhala, 'Seeds' in English and 'Viththukkal' in Tamil), was made in 2022, based on this incident.
The zeal of the inhabitants of Mannar to become Christians
In their book on the life of St. Francis Xavier, Daniello Bartoli and Giovanni Maffei stated “that of the many various States which sent to ask Xavier to come and impart the light of Gospel none is so deserving of remembrance, none deserving of praise as we say of a holy envy as the Mannarese who prove themselves the beautiful models and masters of patience and heroic fortitude to the whole of that new Eastern Church. With them the reception of Baptism and shedding of their blood, the birth unto Christ and their death for Christ went hand in hand. So rapidly did the fruit ripen of which God has blessed the seed, that they who yesterday were idolaters and today Christians and would be tomorrow be Martyrs”.
Jesuit historian Fernão de Queiróz expressed similar admiration towards the deputation. “The chief men of Mannar moved by Divine Spirit send deputation to St Francis Xavier to signify to him the disposition that were therein and the importance of his visiting and account which he would have to give to God if he failed to visit.” They had heard of the devotion and the earnestness and personal holiness of St. Francis and of the conversion of those in India. The deputation from Mannar came from the homogenous community in Careapatao. Since the saint was engaged in baptising and pastoral care of new converts he was unable to go at that time. St Francis Xavier chose a native cleric, Francis Xavier and told him “I entrust to you the enterprise of Mannar. Wherein I trust in the Lord you will reap such great fruits. Go my son, and may God help you”. Cleric Francis set out at once with the envoys, who though they regretted not to take the saint with them were greatly relieved to learn from him they would have him later on in that island. Cleric Francis Xavier reached Mannar where he was well received and in a short time catechised a vast number of inhabitants of Mannar. He baptised up to six hundred person with usual ceremonies, thoroughly well grounded in the Faith as their constancy showed.
The Martyrdom
The temple priests learned the reports of a new religion and marched to Nallur to represent to the King Cankili I the outrage of a Minister of another religion going about his territories perverting the people and setting against him. They told the king new converts razing temples and idols and an unknown God was worshiped in their place. They told him unless he took prompt action, he would soon find himself without a kingdom, idols and temples. The king issued an edict “renounce Christianity or die”. The new converts many who were in the service of this King in Mannar could have foreseen the consequence they would face by becoming Christians because they were aware the tyrant king who seized the throne in 1519 hate of Portuguese and Christianity. The king immediately mustered five thousand men from the coast of mainland and Jaffnapatnam and set out for Mannar. He met with no other resistance than that of tears which some shed out of consolation and joy at seeing the constancy with which others died. The smallest children crying out when their mothers tried to hide them from seeing their companions beheaded, they offered their throat to the executioners with the wonderful power of faith. The king known for his other tyrannies was their Captain and spared neither sex nor age.