Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK) is one of Goa’s premier Konkani research, educational and cultural centre. Established in September 1985, TSKK aims at uniting Konkanis, irrespective of their territorial identity, religion, dialect, script, cultural expression, by promoting the Konkani language, literature and culture through research and education.

The institute has been named after the sixteenth century English Jesuit, Fr Thomas Stephens (1549-1619), a renowned linguist and Marathi poet. He reached Goa on October 24, 1579 and worked in Margao and Rachol. He studied Konkani and Marathi so well that he produced some monumental works in these languages. Fr Stephens wrote a Konkani grammar titled Arte de Lingua Canarim and had it printed in 1622. This grammar happens to be the first printed grammar in an Indian language. Fr Stephens is well known for his Doutrina Christam, a book on Christian doctrine. However, his magnum opus is Kristpuran. It is an epic on the life of Christ written in literary Marathi with a generous sprinkling of Konkani words. No wonder, Fr Thomas Stephens has been aptly called the Father of Christian Literature in India.