>From the Joseph Naik Vaz Institute ...
At this juncture, the Church in Goa, Mangalore, and Sri Lanka asks your prayers so that Pope Francis will soon canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz to make him an official Saint. * Bl. Joseph Vaz was born in Goa, rescued the abandoned missions in Mangalore, and re-built the Church in Sri Lanka under Dutch persecution in the seventeenth century. He is thus officially called by the Church: “Apostle of Kanara and Sri Lanka” and “Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Damao.” * Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka and Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa and Damao have officially announced that his Cause for Canonization has reached a crucial stage. They have appealed for a campaign of prayer so that the final miracle submitted for his canonization will be approved by the Sacred Congregation of the Saints. YOUR PRAYERS AND PARTICIPATION ARE APPRECIATED We hope that all overseas Goans, Mangaloreans, and Sri Lankans will respond to their appeal and participate in an International Novena Prayer Campaign for his canonization by saying the Novena Prayer below. PRAYER FOR THE CANONIZATION Loving Father, Your Son wrote in the hearts of all people Your heavenly message through the wonders of Your everlasting love. Following in His footsteps, your servant, Blessed Joseph Vaz, guided by the Holy Spirit and under the patronage of Your Immaculate Mother, engaged his whole life in exemplary works and showed us that we too can attain grace to walk in Your Son's footsteps and win the crown of the Blessed. Therefore, we humbly beg of You to grant us a much-needed miracle (pause and pray for a miracle) and thus put Your seal on his heroic life, and move the Church to declare him as a model and Saint. We make this prayer through the same Jesus, Our Lord. Amen. Imprimatur. 8.7.2000 + Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa & Damao, India. H.H. Pope John Paul II said at Bl. Vaz’ Beatification in 1995: "I came to Sri Lanka above all to honor Bl. Joseph Vaz…Like a star shining in the Asian sky, this great spiritual guide teaches us many lessons about the goodness of the human person and the nobility of our destiny as human beings.” Please pass this message on to your family, contacts, social media groups, etc. Thank you. Joseph Naik Vaz Institute email: [email protected] website: www.josephnaikvaz.org
