It is an entirely wonderful thing that George found this fabulous site for this Petition. We will be collecting signatures for all of the rest of the year 2010 and throughout 2011 to honor Blessed Joseph Vaz' 300th death anniversary. We hope that everyone will succeed in getting at least 10 signatures each. Please try. Please also contact Mangalorean and Sri Lankan friends and send them the Petition site.
From our website, josephnaikvaz.org: The Work Of Blessed Joseph Vaz His missionary work was not colonial, not helped, authorized, associated with colonial conquest. He gained the protection of the Buddhist, non-Christian King of Kandy, Sri Lanka. He used Inculturation as a missionary method. He founded a Catholic para-liturgy and literature using the two languages and cultures of Sri Lanka, Tamil and Sinhalese. He educated his servant John Vaz, a member of the Indigenous tribe of Kunbis, and sent him back to Goa with a letter of recommendation to the priesthood.The Portuguese Church Councils had reserved the priesthood for the two higher castes. He founded the miraculous Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu It was crowned in 1924 and is one of the five officially crowned Marian Shrines of the Church, along with Czestova, Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe. He is the first non-European native in modern times to found a Mission and Church in a “Third World” country; to found a fully native Catholic Religious Congregation; and to be given the official title of “Apostle” (of Kanara and Sri Lanka) by the Church, for his work in rescuing the Church there. His Indian Oratorian Mission is the only fully native, non-European Catholic Mission of our colonial era. The Church he re‑founded in Sri Lanka was persecuted and survived isolation from Rome for 140 years. ----- Original Message ---- From: George Pinto <georgejpi...@yahoo.com> To: Goanet <goa...@goanet.org> Sent: Mon, August 16, 2010 9:43:26 AM Subject: Goan saint: Your help is urgently needed Extraordinary. In a few hours nearly a hundred signatures! But we need more. It would be nice to have 500 signatures to be presented to the Pope. Goans have to help themselves, we have to take the lead. Thanks to all who have signed so far. Be a part of history. Don't miss this opportunity to help a Goan saint achieve his rightful honour after 300 long years. If Blessed Vaz is canonized a saint it will be due to people like you who helped his cause. Please sign your First AND Last name to the petition. http://www.PetitionOnline.com/JosephV/ The 300th anniversary of the death of Blessed Joseph Vaz (born Goa, India) is fast approaching on January 16, 2011. Our Joseph Naik Vaz Institute has worked to publicize his life and Cause since 1980, when we incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3) in the State of California. We ask for your support of our new Petition to the Pope, His Holiness Benedict XVI, asking that Blessed Joseph Vaz be canonized for the 300th anniversary of his death. Canonizations are in part a result of an outpouring of support from ordinary people. The Pope can grant the exception to the miracle for the case of a Martyr if enough people show that we care. Your signature to this Petition will help to send the people's support to the Pope for Blessed Vaz' long delayed and just canonization. Together we can make this canonization happen. Please sign your First AND Last name to the petition. http://www.PetitionOnline.com/JosephV/ 300 years is a long wait for a Catholic Saint and Blessed Vaz could be on the verge of being canonized with your support. Please sign the petition and forward to your family and friends to sign. All welcome to sign (i.e. you do not have to be Catholic). Please sign your First AND Last name to the petition. http://www.PetitionOnline.com/JosephV/ Regards, Filomena Saraswati Giese and George Pinto Joseph Naik Vaz Institute www.josephnaikvaz.org