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Portrait of, from left, American military surgeons Reynard Edrington, John 'Mumsworthy' Holden, and Roger Wilcox , each with a riding crop under...

Richard Holden - Translator of the First Book of Common Prayer in Portuguese and Pioneer of Protestantism in Brazil

Scottish missionary (1828-1886) who translated the Book of Common Prayer into Portuguese in 1876 and pioneered the spread of Protestantism in Brazil and Portugal, founding churches and distributing Bibles throughout the Amazon Basin.

Life and Formation

Richard Holden was born in 1828 in Scotland and became one of the most important Protestant missionaries of the 19th century in Latin America. A graduate of the Seminary, he volunteered to work in Brazil and was accepted by the United States Episcopal Missionary Board and the American Bible Society.

Ministry in Brazil (1862-1864)

Holden arrived in Brazil on August 12, 1862, beginning his missionary work in port cities. During his initial stay, he worked distributing Bibles and preaching the Gospel, cooperating with other missionaries such as Rev. Wagner of the Lutheran Church.

In Belém, he founded a church by making use of the work already begun by the American captain Robert Nesbitt, who had started distributing Bibles in the city. Holden used the local press as an evangelization tool, which led to a controversy with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Belém, Dom Antônio de Macedo Costa.

By 1861, he had made four trips through the Amazon Basin, distributing Bibles and evangelical pamphlets in riverside villages and towns, reaching Peru with Bibles in Spanish and Portuguese.

Work in the United States and Translations

During his stay in the United States, Holden devoted himself to translating important religious writings into Portuguese, including:

  • The Book of Common Prayer
  • Various traditional Anglo-American hymns

These translations were fundamental to the spread of the Anglican and Protestant tradition in the Portuguese-speaking world.

Work in Portugal (1876-1879)

In 1876, Holden published in Portugal the first edition of the hymnal "Hinos e Cânticos", which contained several hymns of his authorship and translation. This work represented a significant contribution to Protestant liturgical music in Portuguese.

In 1877, he inaugurated the House of Prayer in the Amoreiras neighborhood, in Lisbon, marking the establishment of the first Brethren Church in Portugal, together with his wife Cathryn Holden.

Return to Brazil and Ecclesiastical Organization (1878-1879)

On July 10, 1879, Holden returned to Brazil to formally organize the first meeting in the style of the "Brethren". The first recorded meeting had taken place in 1878 at Rua da América, 4, in Rio de Janeiro.

The community later met in a room on Rua de São Pedro, 315 (now Praça da República), in a building that was later demolished when Avenida Presidente Vargas was opened.

Legacy and Historical Importance

Richard Holden is recognized as:

  • Translator of the first Book of Common Prayer in Portuguese (1876), a work that became a liturgical reference for the Portuguese-speaking Anglican tradition
  • Pioneer in evangelizing the Brazilian Amazon region
  • Founder of the first structured Protestant communities in Brazil and Portugal
  • Significant contributor to Protestant liturgical music in Portuguese

His translation and evangelization work laid the foundations for the development of Protestantism in Brazil and Portugal during the 19th century, leaving a lasting legacy in Anglican and Brethren communities in both countries.

Birth

Date: 1828
Place: Scotland

Death

Date: 1886

Liturgical Feast

July 17

Written Works

  • Hinos e Cânticos (1876) - Hymnal containing hymns authored and translated by Richard Holden, published in Portugal
  • Book of Common Prayer (Portuguese translation) (1876) - First translation of the Book of Common Prayer into the Portuguese language

Recommended Books

To deepen your knowledge about this person, we recommend:

  • History of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil I (1859-1959) - Third Mill
    Contains information about Richard Holden's work and its historical context in Brazil

Sources and References

This article was prepared based on the following sources: