From: [email protected] To: Goa is blessed with St Joseph Vazhttp://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Goa-is-blessed-with-St-Joseph-Vaz/83529.html?utm_source=Email%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email
Pope Francis declares Joseph Vaz a saint; Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao and Kandy Bishop Vianney Fernando presented the request for canonization; Konkani hymn “Zuze Vasa, amchea bhava” ended the mass COLOMBO: A sea of humanity, estimated at over half a million, according to some agencies, watched Pope Francis declare our own Fr Joseph Vaz, a saint for the Universal Catholic Church, the first saint for Goa and Sri Lanka.The crowds, extending to a length of around a kilometre, at Galle Face Green in Colombo, a gathering perhaps never seen before, gave Pope Francis a tumultuous welcome, waving papal flags, and photographs of the pope. This was followed by traditional Sinhalese and Tamil dance performances by the youth of Sri Lanka as a greeting for the Holy Father.In a short and meaningful ceremony, the Holy Father began the mass in Latin. A little later, the Bishop of Kandy, Vianney Fernando and the Archbishop of Goa, Filipe Neri Ferrao, presented to the pontiff the request for canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz.This was followed by the rite of canonization which was marked by the pealing of bells, beating of drums and a thundering applause from the crowd overwhelmed by the proclamation of the apostle of Sri Lanka as a saint of the church.The liturgy then proceeded with readings in Sinhalese, Tamil and English, while the Holy Father continued with the eucharist in Latin and English.In an exceptionally short homily which lasted less than five minutes, Pope Francis praised the work of St Joseph Vaz, who chose to leave Goa and travel to Sri Lanka to revive the faith of the people who were deprived of the freedom to practice their religion. He emphasized that St Joseph Vaz served the people of this region without any distinction of race and religion. The homily was translated into Sinhalese and Tamil.The ceremony concluded with a hymn in Konkani, “Zuze Vasa amchea bhava”, sung by a Goan group directed by Fr Joaquim Loiola Pereira. A large contingent of Goans was seen in the audience and most were accorded special places, not very far from the main stage.Around 40 cardinals and bishops participated in the eucharist. Among them were Goan bishops serving in various dioceses of the country. Besides Archbishop Ferrao and Archbishop Emeritus Raul Gonsalves, there were Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, Bishop Allwyn Barreto of Sindhudurgh and Auxiliary Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Ranchi.Several Goan priests too participated in the service and these included Fr Cosme Costa, SFX, through whose birth, considered a miracle, Joseph Vaz was beatified. He was given a place of honour among those who concelebrated the Pontifical Mass.Among those who attended the service were some Buddhist, Muslim and Christian members of the Sri Lankan cabinet, the mayor of Colombo and the brother of the former President Chnala Rajapaksha.Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo thanked the Holy Father for his visit to Sri Lanka and particularly for his gift of St Joseph Vaz. “That gift makes us truly happy for Sri Lanka has now its own saint, the pride of Goa and God’s precious gem for Sri Lanka. We thank you for this precious gift, whose life and service here in his adoptive land saved the faith of the Catholics during a difficult and painful period of history and left a lasting legacy to the unending love of God for us. God truly inspired this holy man to give up his own beloved homeland and people and to launch into the unknown, like Abraham, and to singlehandedly revive the faith of our ancestors. We thank the church in Goa for this precious gift of their son to us. There are in fact many who have come here to join us today from this lively church along with their patriarch and we welcome them with grateful hearts,” he added.The speech of the cardinal, especially his references to Goa, was often interrupted by loud applause particularly from the Goan community present for the mass.At the end of the celebration, Pope Francis presented to Cardinal Ranjith, a reproduction of the “Sannas”, engraved on copper of the document by which in 1694 King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy authorised Fr Juan Sylveira of the Order of St Philip Neri and his companions to preach the gospel and build churches in his kingdom, and the people to convert to Christianity should they wish to do so. The original decree was given to Pope Leo XIII by the then Archbishop of Colombo, Christopher Bonjero OMI. The faithful of Sri Lanka reciprocated by donating 70,000 dollars to Pope Francis for papal charity. ========Goa erupts with bells and crackershttp://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Goa-erupts-with-bells-and-crackers/83528.html?utm_source=Email%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email ======== St Joseph Vaz – A missionary par excellence, a model for India even after 350 yearshttp://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Saint-Joseph-Vaz/St-Joseph-Vaz-%E2%80%93-A-missionary-par-excellence-a-model-for-India-even-after-350-years/83492.html In 1711, in far off Sri Lanka then known as Ceylon, a saintly priest, a courageous missionary was dying and in the last moments of his life, his companion priests begged him to give them a message, some words that they could remember him by for the rest of their lives. The priest bethought himself a moment and uttered in Sinhala: “Remember that one cannot easily do at the time of death what one has neglected to do all his life.” The priest was none other than St Joseph Vaz, God’s gift to Goa and Goa’s gift to the Sri Lanka.These words surmise the attitude, the life and the spirituality of a man from our own little Goa, who over 350 ago, left the shores of India to cater to a persecuted Catholic community of Sri Lanka. Through his extraordinarily courageous and fearless labour for the Lord he helped preserve the faith in the tiny island. When Pope Francis canonized Blessed Joseph Vaz, affectionately named the Apostle of Sri Lanka, he was not simply honouring this one saintly man, but in fact acknowledging the missionary efforts of the missionary Church of Goa because St Joseph Vaz had his roots in the faith community of Goa, was the shoot of this community and produced the fruits of this faith both in Goa and more specifically in the emerald isle of Sri Lanka.Three characteristics mark out St Joseph Vaz’s relevance for the India of today: His deep rooted faith, his courage in the face of adversities and his love for the poorest of the poor.Deep Rooted FaithSt Joseph Vaz was a man deeply rooted in faith. Those who came into contact with him, even those not sharing his faith, were impressed by his holiness and saw him as a man of God and a model of a holy life. It is good to remember that such faith very often as in the case of St Joseph Vaz has its origin in the fountain of faith of one’s family. As Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, the Archbishop of Goa and the Patriarch of the East Indies in his pastoral letter of 2010 entitled, “Witness to Christian Values in the Footsteps of Joseph Vaz” states, “A good tree bears good fruits. We know the tree from its fruit (Lk 6:43-44). Joseph Vaz is a fruit from an exemplary family. His parents were a beacon of a life of holiness. They built their home on the foundation of the love of God and of neighbour, thus making their family into a model for the families in the neighbourhood. Christian virtues like integrity, justice, courage, concern for the lowly, love, forgiveness, patience and prayer were never found wanting in their home.” He goes on to point out that; and, at every stage of his life, as he carried out his priestly ministry — particularly at the service of the family — he let many taste the value of these virtues and principles. India today evermore than before requires sound families, deeply rooted in faith and whose mind is set on things much more valuable than what the mundane society offers. As globalization brings in values very often opposed to family life, St Joseph Vaz, as a fruit of a family founded on faith, becomes an inspiration to families all over as to what a sound family can achieve. As a promoter of God oriented families, in this year of the Synod of Bishops for families, he provides an example, intercession and a pastoral strategy for the strengthening of families.Courage in the face of adversitiesFr H Lesser in his book, Sages and Saints has this to say about our Saint: “Vaz...had no funds...no support from anyone, ecclesiastical or civil...When he went to Ceylon, no one, apart from the Archbishop of Goa and his own local superior even knew he was going. His only companion was his faithful servant, John. They had no money, no resources, no luggage, except a breviary and Mass kit. He always travelled barefoot. He would accept no gifts, not even a Mass stipend...His first two years in Jaffna were spent in daily danger of death from the Dutch...His entry into Kandy was in chains. He was for two years a prisoner, for the first five days without food. One is tempted to compare him with St Paul (1 Cor., 4:10-13)”.The last few months have indicated to us that hard times seem to be beginning for minorities in India. Movements like Ghar wapasi, which militate against the very fundamental rights of citizens, appear to be having the overt and covert support of the powers that be. What will the answer of Christians in India be? I dare say that St Joseph Vaz should be our model. Courage in the face of adversities, charity in the face of provocation, simplicity, humility and holiness at all times. St Joseph Vaz knew persecution and he has set us a road map. We hope we will not need it. But should the necessity arise, we know we have a model.Love for the poorest of the poorSt Joseph Vaz, was a compassionate man moved, motivated and inspired by the example of the merciful Jesus. A quote from the VijitavelleRajavaliya, a continuation of the MahaRajavaliya and written by Yatiyalagala Polwatte Vidane, a Buddhist, before the year 1815 says, “At that time (1697-1698) Lanka was attacked by smallpox; it was a time when vaccination was not known. Consequently many people died of that disease. Parents and children, wives and husbands, unmindful of one another, abandoned their dear ones and departed. Wild beasts devoured the dead bodies.... Many died of this disease and they were cast on the streets. The King himself, unable to bear the stench of the dead bodies, left the capital. When the report of these events reached him, St Joseph Vaz came from Colombo, bringing with him food, clothes and other things. He searched for the sick, going even to the forest, provided them with shelter by putting up tents and attending to all their wants. Thus he performed heroic deeds. On account of these extraordinary actions, people were attracted to him and many embraced the Christian religion. Then in the year 1711, Fr Vaz died in Jayawardanapura, the MahaNuwara.” No wonder that the King was so pleased by this service that he is reported to have said that he wished that he had in his kingdom four priests like him and that his city would have been left without inhabitants if not for St Joseph Vaz and his companion. India has experienced Christ’s love through thousands of missionaries who through schools, hospitals and social work have witnessed the love of Christ.St Joseph Vaz remains relevant for India as a model to be followed to continue spreading the love of God. He loved a life that was full – full of love, full of faith, full of compassion and full of courage. He did not neglect anything and hence he could go peacefully to the Father to be raised to the Altar by the Church. What St Pope John Paul II said to the Sri Lankans in the Homily for the beatification of St Joseph Vaz nearly 20 years ago can be cited to indicate the relevance to us in Goa and in India: “Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christians of Sri Lanka! What is the message of Joseph Vaz? Blessed Joseph should inspire you to be tireless and spirit-filled witnesses to the Gospel in your families and in your communities.”(The writer is the Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi. He was earlier an official with the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican, where he was the head of the department for Asia, Africa and Oceania.) =========Jubilant Sancoale rejoices as its son is now a Sainthttp://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Saint-Joseph-Vaz/Jubilant-Sancoale-rejoices-as-its-son-is-now-a-Saint/83490.html ===========‘Look to Saint Joseph as a sure guide’http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Saint-Joseph-Vaz/%E2%80%98Look-to-Saint-Joseph-as-a-sure-guide%E2%80%99/83491.html Herald reproduces the homily delivered by Pope Francis at the Canonization mass of St Joseph Vaz “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Is 52:10).This is the magnificent prophecy which we heard in today’s first reading. Isaiah foretells the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the earth. This prophecy has a special meaning for us, as we celebrate the canonization of a great missionary of the Gospel, Saint Joseph Vaz. Like countless other missionaries in the history of the Church, he responded to the Risen Lord’s command to make disciples of every nation (cf. Mt 28:19). By his words, but more importantly, by the example of his life, he led the people of this country to the faith which gives us “an inheritance among all God’s holy ones” (cf. Acts 20:32).In Saint Joseph we see a powerful sign of God’s goodness and love for the people of Sri Lanka. But we also see in him a challenge to persevere in the paths of the Gospel, to grow in holiness ourselves, and to testify to the Gospel message of reconciliation to which he dedicated his life.A priest of the Oratory in his native Goa, Saint Joseph Vaz came to this country inspired by missionary zeal and a great love of its people. Because of religious persecution, he dressed as a beggar, performing his priestly duties in secret meetings of the faithful, often at night. His efforts provided spiritual and moral strength to the beleaguered Catholic population. He had a particular desire to serve the ill and suffering. His ministry to the sick was so appreciated by the king during a smallpox epidemic in Kandy that he was allowed greater freedom to minister. From Kandy, he could reach out to other parts of the island. He spent himself in missionary work and died, exhausted, at the age of 59, revered for his holiness.Saint Joseph Vaz continues to be an example and a teacher for many reasons, but I would like to focus on three. First, he was an exemplary priest. Here today with us are many priests and religious, both men and women, who, like Joseph Vaz, are consecrated to the service of God and neighbour. I encourage each of you to look to Saint Joseph as a sure guide. He teaches us how to go out to the peripheries, to make Jesus Christ everywhere known and loved. He is also an example of patient suffering in the cause of the Gospel, of obedience to our superiors, of loving care for the Church of God (cf. Acts 20:28). Like ourselves, Saint Joseph Vaz lived in a period of rapid and profound transformation; Catholics were a minority, and often divided within; there was occasional hostility, even persecution, from without. And yet, because he was constantly united with the crucified Lord in prayer, he could become for all people a living icon of God’s mercy and reconciling love.Second, Saint Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace. His undivided love for God opened him to love for his neighbour; he ministered to those in need, whoever and wherever they were. His example continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka today. She gladly and generously serves all members of society. She makes no distinction of race, creed, tribe, status or religion in the service she provides through her schools, hospitals, clinics, and many other charitable works. All she asks in return is the freedom to carry out this mission. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Each individual must be free, alone or in association with others, to seek the truth, and to openly express his or her religious convictions, free from intimidation and external compulsion. As the life of Saint Joseph Vaz teaches us, genuine worship of God bears fruit not in discrimination, hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life, respect for the dignity and freedom of others, and loving commitment to the welfare of all. Finally, Saint Joseph gives us an example of missionary zeal. Though he came to Ceylon to minister to the Catholic community, in his evangelical charity he reached out to everyone. Leaving behind his home, his family, the comfort of his familiar surroundings, he responded to the call to go forth, to speak of Christ wherever he was led. Saint Joseph knew how to offer the truth and the beauty of the Gospel in a multi-religious context, with respect, dedication, perseverance and humility. This is also the way for the followers of Jesus today. We are called to go forth with the same zeal, the same courage, of Saint Joseph, but also with his sensitivity, his reverence for others, his desire to share with them that word of grace (cf. Acts 20:32) which has the power to build them up. We are called to be missionary disciples.Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that, following the example of Saint Joseph Vaz, the Christians of this country may be confirmed in faith and make an ever greater contribution to peace, justice and reconciliation in Sri Lankan society. This is what Christ asks of you. This is what Saint Joseph teaches you. This is what the Church needs of you. I commend all of you to the prayers of our new saint, so that, in union with the Church throughout the world, you may sing a new song to the Lord and declare his glory to all the ends of the earth. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised (cf. Ps 96: 1-4)! Amen. ==========
