He was born in Santa Luzia, a parish of the municipality of Ourique, in 1668.

He studied at the Évora University where he obtained his bachelor degree in theology and became a graduate and master in philosophy. And, at the same time, he received the successive sacred orders up to presbyter.

In 1696 he enrolled at the University in Coimbra, mas never obtained the doctor's degree.

After having been accepted in the parish service, he was vicar forane in Alvito (1697-1707) and then in Viana do Alentejo, where he also assumed the function of confessor for the nuns of the Monastery of Jesus.

He is supposed to have been the mentor of the scraffito at the elevation of the staircase that leads to the top floor of the monastery:  I.H.S. / LENBREN SE. DA. [DE] IACOB. PELLA QVAL / ANIOS. SOBIAM / E DECIAM (Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning, Jesus, the savior of mankind / remember Jacob’s through which angels went up and down). The inscription refers to a mysterious staircase through which, according to the Book of Genesis, the patriarch Jacob saw, in his dreams, angels going up and down. This was an image that was very much in use in the mystical tradition that saw in it the spiring and the movement of the soul towards God in search of inner perfection.

António Pais Godinho stood out for his arts of eurythmy, but the exercice of this function was not without risks: he was target of a shooting attempted murder having, however, escaped unharmed.

In 1716 he was appointed candidate for the position of third bishop of Nanquim. Being a populous city, it was a key point in the center of China, nowadays the headquarters of an archdiocese of the People’s Republic of China. At that time, António Pais Godinho lived in Lisbon and was also appointed member of the King’s Council, side by side with the important names of the nobility and other important members of the high clergy. However, due to the difficult relations with that country, he never left Portugal and waived the position in 1720.

By then he went to live in Viana para moved afterwards to Santiago do Cacém, where he had family.

In 1727 he was called to assume the position of “provisor” of the Archdiocese of Lisbon, in a period when the Holy See was vacant and remained in office until 1730.

In that year, free from official duties, he went back to Santiago do Cacém.

However, in spite of it, he was chosen by King João V to intervene in one of the great events of his reign: the consecration of the basilica of the convent of Mafra in 1730.

From 1742 onwards, he went back to Viana where he owned noble houses in São Francisco street, presently Teófilo Braga street, more precisely in the building presently identified with number 20.

He died in Viana on March 30, 1752, having acquired a reputation of saint, because, even after his death, his body still had the color and flexibility of a living person. His funeral was attended by and enormous crowd.

He is buried in the Main Church of Viana, by the cross, under the Triumphal Arch, in an armoriated grave.

There is a manuscript, from an unknown author, about his life called Memorial do que pertense às noticias do Exm.o e R. mo Snr. D. Antonio Paes Godinho, (Memories of what belongs to the news of Mister and Rev. Sir Antonio Paes Godinho) kept in the manuscript section of the Library of the Science Academy of Lisbon. It is part of an assortment called Varios Papeis Avulsos Colligidos Por Fr. Vicente Salgado (Several single papers collated by Friar Vicente Salgado) that has already been transcribed and analized by José António Falcão.

 
REFERENCES:
 Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo, Memórias Paroquiais, Dicionário Geográfico de Portugal, Tomo 39, nº 150, pp. 891 a 910.
FALCÃO, José António, Parecer e Ser: Excursus Vital de D. António Paes Godinho, Bispo de Nanquim, no prelo.