Books

He has authored 42 books 22 in Sinhala, 14 in Tamil, 5 in Portuguese, and 1 in Dutch. 

Some of his books are:

Devaveda Sankshapaya (දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය)

දේව වේද සංක්ෂපය This is a summary of Devaveda Puranaya, in the form of question and answer.

Devaveda Puranaya (දේව වේද පුරාණය)

දේව වේද පුරාණය This work is on the Bible, consisting of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is considered to be the biggest book written by him containing about 400 printed pages. The uniqueness of this work is that the description of the Garden of Eden,is done as if it were in Sri Lanka with descriptions of local fauna and flora

Suvishesha Vishleshanaya (සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය)

සුවිශේෂ විසර්ජනය It consists of Gospels to be read on Sundays, Days of Obligation, and Feast days of important Saints and also for use at sermons

Dukprapthi Prasangaya (දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය)

දුක්ප්‍රාප්ති ප්‍රසංගය Sermons on the Passion of Christ for use during Lent and in Passion Plays.

Dharmodyanaya (ධර්මෝද්‍යානය)

ධර්මෝද්‍යානය (Dharmodyanaya) is a book written on lives of Saints, written in 1735

Prathiharyawaliya (ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය)

ප්‍රාතිහාර්යාවලිය This is a book written on some of the miracles performed by Jesus, which are described in the Holy Bible.

Sukurtha Darpanaya (සුකෘත දර්පණය)

සුකෘත දර්පණය (Sukurtha Darpanaya) is a book written in between 1733 - 1740, to invite to a life of faith, and to show the value of Christian life.

Deva Neethi Visarjanaya (දේව නීති විසර්ජනය)

දේව නීති විසර්ජනය (Deva Neethi Visarjanaya = Resolution of divine laws) is a book written in between 1720 - 1730, on the Last Judgement

Veda Kavya (වේද කාව්‍ය)

වේද කාව්‍ය (Veda Kavya) Veda Kavyaya is a poetic composition, done in 1725. It covers the history of the world from the creation to the ascension of Christ into heaven.

Agnana Aushadhaya (අඥාන ඖෂධය)

අඥාන ඖෂධය (Agnana Aushadhaya = Medicine for fools) is a book written as an antidote to occult practices.


It is said that many have been converted to Catholicism after reading this work

Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha (දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත)

දේශනා නවයේ පසම් පොත (Deshana Navaye Pasam Potha = Pasam book of nine sermons) is the Dukprapthi Prasangaya, written in prose. Nine chapters are devoted to the Nine Sermons.


In total there are 357 poems. This has been written during 1712 - 1743

Mangala Geethaya (මංගල ගීතය)

මංගල ගීතය (Mangala Geethaya = Festival song) is a book containing hymns to Jesus, Mary and Saints. This was used for liturgical purposes.

Kristhiyani Palliya (ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය)

ක්‍රිස්තියානි පල්ලිය (Kristiyani Palliya = Christian Church) is a book of prayers written for the day to day use. It contains prayers for healing of people, as well as animals, prayers to protect crops from pests, and prayers to various saints. It has been written in between 1715 - 1730

Ananda Kalippuwa (ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව)

ආනන්ද කලිප්පුව (Ananda Kalippuwa) is a song book written in 1728. It is the first song book ever written in Sri Lanka. It contained songs on the frivolousness of life. It also denounced corruption in the royal court.

Gnanangjanaya (ඥානාංජනය)

ඥානාංජනය (Gnanangjanaya = Knowledge the medicine to eye) is a book written in 1738. It contains 12 homilies to refresh,and enlighten the spiritual life, especially at retreats. It shows the value and objective of humanity, what is sin, how to get rid of sin and the results of sin

Dictionaries

සිංහල - ප්‍රතිකාල් අකාරාදිය (Sinhala Prathikaal Akaaradiya = Sinhala Portuguese Dictionary) 1730

ප්‍රතිකාල් - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Sinhala Dictionary) 1720

ප්‍රතිකාල් - දෙමළ - සිංහල අකාරාදිය (Prathikaal Demala Sinhala Akaaradiya = Portuguese Tamil Sinhala Dictionary) 1735

Other Books (Sinhala)

සත්‍ය උපදේශ (Sathya Upadesha)

Tamil Books

Fr. Gonsalves’ contributions to Tamil Catholic Literature and liturgy too are very much similar to his works in Sinhala.Some of which are :

Morning and evening prayers

Prayers at Holy Mass, and on festival days


Sunday and Feast day Gospel explanations


“Pasan” or lamentations on Passion of Christ.


“Piḻai thīrkkiṟa mantiram” prayer for absolution


“Cintu pirāttaṉai” prayers to be sung in churches.


Catechism Big Uthiram


சத்திய வேதாகம சம்க்ஷேபம் (Sattiya Vedagama Samshepam)


சுவிசேஷச விரிதுரை (Suvisesha Viriththurai) - Tamil version of Suvishesha Visarjanaya


கிறிஸ்டியானி ஆலயம் (Kiristiyani Aalayam) - The oldest prayer book in Tamil in Sri Lanka


வியாகுல பிரசங்கம் (Viyakula Pirasangam) - Tamil version of Dukprapthi Prasangaya


(Thanks to Mr Dushit Johnthasan/Niruja Fernando for finding Swamy Gnanapragasam’s book on Fr. Gonsalves and to Mr. Louis Rasiah for English translations of some of its passages, from which the above account has been compiled. )

(adapted from Wikipedia)