João de Brito was born in Lisbon, Portugal on March 1, 1647.

While still a boy he was admitted among the pages of the King of Spain, but he became seriously ill: his mother made a vow to Saint Francis Xavier that, if her son recovered, she would have him wear the habit of the Society of Jesus for a year. This happened, but John asked to truly become a Jesuit.

Ordained a priest in 1673, he was sent to India. His profound inculturation, which led him to adopt clothes and lifestyles similar to those of Indian ascetics, earned him numerous conversions.

Being outside the regions controlled by the Portuguese, the Jesuits of Madurai lived according to specific characteristics. They had conformed to the native customs and, in the event of conflict or persecution by the local authorities, they could not expect help from the Portuguese or any other foreign power. Accepting this situation, they were able to establish a Christian Church independent of Western protection. To this end, a violent storm thwarted his plan. According to some, even among his compatriots, de Brito exaggerated in his methods of adaptation.

The death sentence, however, had to be confirmed. John was brought before Raganata Tevar. He listened to an exposition of the Christian religion given by the missionary, and was so impressed that he ordered all Christian prisoners to be released. He added, however, that the law of John's God was not suitable for him or his people. He therefore ordered the missionary to be expelled from his kingdom, forbidding him to preach Christianity and threatening him with death if he did not obey. Shortly after these events, the provincial wrote to de Brito, informing him that he must leave for Europe, because he had been elected procurator of the Province. John reminded the provincial that he had vowed never to return to Portugal, but his objection was not accepted. He therefore left Goa on December 15, 1686, for his return to Europe.

While in Portugal, he retained many of the habits he had followed in India: he continued to sleep on a mat and to eat only vegetables. To those who were surprised by his attitudes, he replied that his brothers in Madurai led a much more heroic and penitent life, exposed to constant dangers, and added that, being eager to return to India, he wanted to keep fit to return to action, if he were allowed. He had to overcome the resistance of those who wanted to keep him in Lisbon: this time, even the king himself and his ministers.

Many told him that he could do much more for India by remaining in Europe. The king finally gave him permission to leave, but declared that he would recall him after two years. He even wrote to the general of the Society of Jesus, through his confessor Father Sebastião de Magalhães, to ask for the return of John de Brito to Portugal, but he obtained nothing. The missionary, later, on April 11, 1692, remembering these attempts, wrote to Father João da Costa: "I have always told Your Reverence that I did not think of returning to Portugal. I love heaven more than earth, the bushes of Madurai more than the palace of Portugal."

While waiting to return to the East, John turned to the provincial, who was then Father André Freire, asking him to send him back to the mission in Madurai. He especially wanted to return to Marava, which he later obtained.

Thanks to his activity, there were many conversions, even among the relatives of the Rajah, but these successes could not fail to provoke hatred and threats of revenge. Giovanni de Brito was aware of the situation, and on July 22, 1692 he wrote to Father João da Costa: "Now it is said that in Marava they hope to capture me and cut off my head, and thus put an end to the preaching of the Gospel in that land. If this is established, why speak? We will go to heaven sooner; and since the news is already very widespread, I judge that it is not the glory of God to leave these lands now."

In fact, events precipitated. The latest events refer to the conversion of Tadaia Theva, who asked to be baptized by John de Brito, after being cured of an illness. Since he was a well-known figure and one of his wives was a cousin of the ra jah, his conversion could not go unnoticed. Making such an important person a Christian was the sure way to provoke a violent persecution. Therefore John gathered his catechists and the most influential Christians and exposed the problem.

After these consultations, he was firmly determined to baptize the prince. He met with the catechumen and began to instruct him. He also explained to him what he considered a great obstacle: he must be prepared to live with only one of his wives, sending away the other four, and this would certainly provoke the anger of the rajah. The prince was not intimidated and declared that he was prepared to keep only his first wife and to exclude the others, among whom was the rajah's cousin.

When it came to the baptism, it happened as expected: John was taken with his companions, and on January 28, 1693, they were all tried and condemned to death. The Rajah gave the order to shoot them and had them led to the place of execution. Tadaia Theva, surrounded by many Christians, came forward to tell the soldiers that they must kill him first. Fearing an uprising, the Rajah ordered the condemned men to be returned to prison and arranged for John to be transferred to Oriyur and handed over to Udaia Theva, his relative, to be executed. His companions were eventually released.

On January 29, John was escorted to Oriyur, where he was beheaded on February 4. The night before, he wrote to Father Francisco Laínez, superior of the mission: "Now I hope to suffer death for my God and my Lord, sought twice in India, in the mission and in Marava: truly with great toil, but with an inestimable reward. The crime of which they accuse me is that of teaching the law of God our Lord, and that in no way should idols be worshipped. When guilt is a virtue, suffering is a glory." These are words that show the dedication of a European who has put aside, as much as possible, his Western style in order to transmit the spirit of Christ by adopting the ascetic practices of Indian penitents.