Born in Benaulim and raised in the villages of Benaulim and Sancoale, St Joseph Vaz left behind an enduring legacy, not just for the Catholics in Goa and Karnataka, but championed Catholicism in Sri Lanka at a time when Catholics were persecuted by Protestant Dutch colonizers.
This year, the novenas for the Feast of Goa’s first homegrown saint began at the Church of Our Lady of Health, Sancoale, on January 7. This the theme selected for 2023’s feast on January 16 is ‘Let us truly follow Jesus after the example of St Joseph Vaz’.
“St Joseph Vaz died on January 16, 1711. Therefore, his feast is celebrated every year on the same date. He was beatified on January 21, 1995, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Pope John Paul II. After his beatification, the Feast was celebrated every year on January 16 at the sanctuary at Sancoale, which was built to promote the cause of his sainthood. Fr Isidore D’Cunha from Cuelim, Cansaulim, then a professor of Collegio de Rachol, advised the then bishop of Goa to promote devotion to Joseph Vaz. For this, a shrine was needed. Fr D’Cunha was instrumental in buying the land for the shrine. Besides the Annual Novenas and the celebration of the Feast Day at the Sanctuary, a procession would be held from the Sanctuary to the paternal house of Blessed Joseph Vaz at Sancoale, followed by Mass at Noon in the paternal house on the Feast Day.
Joseph Vaz was canonized on January 14, 2015, in Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Pope Francis. From 2018 onwards, the venue of the feast was shifted to the site of the old Church of Our Lady of Health, Rua Escravo de Maria, Sancoale. Joseph Vaz would frequent this site very often in his youth and even wrote a letter of Bondage to Mother Mary at this church on August 5, 1677.
The late Fr Isidoro Francisco da Cunha and his late nephew, late Fr Telesforo da Purificacao Saldanha, took the initiative to build the Sanctuary of Saint Joseph Vaz with their own significant financial assistance and donations from devotees in Goa, India, and abroad. It was constructed in 1911 to mark the second centennial of St Joseph Vaz’s passing. On April 21, 1909, the foundation stone was formally set. Due to a lack of funding, it was unable to be officially opened on January 16, 1911, as originally planned. On July 10, 1922, The Sanctuary was solemnly blessed. On January 16, 1966, it was consecrated to St Joseph Vaz. On June 26, 1999, St Joseph Vaz was named the Archdiocese’s Patron, despite the fact that it had initially been established with St Philip Neri (Founder of the Oratorian Order) as its guardian.
St Joseph Vaz was known to be a devout Catholic even as a child. He received priestly ordination in 1676 and served at different parishes of Goa till 1681. He was then chosen to serve as the Kanara Mission’s Superior, a position he held for three years. He travelled to Kanara barefoot, arriving at Mangalore in 1682, and he then helped shape its church. He built chapels and churches, established confraternities and opened small schools in numerous villages. He also hired catechists and made provisions for the upkeep of the church, and his impact is still felt in this region till date. When he returned to Goa in 1684, he spent his time preaching in the local villages and joined the Oratorians, who had just recently arrived in Goa. He quickly rose to the position of superior in this congregation.
Despite his position in the order, St Joseph Vaz wanted to continue his mission in the Dutch territory of Ceylon, where Catholicism was under threat from its colonial rulers. In 1686 he was given approval to resign from his position and travel to Ceylon as it’s first non-European missionary. He arrived in Jaffna and established contact with Ceylon’s Catholic community.
He is now also known as the ‘Friday Boy’ since most of the importance miracles and events in his life had also taken place on Fridays. St Joseph Vaz was put forward as the candidate for the position of Vicar Apostolic of Ceylon by a legate sent by Pope Clement XI (1700–1721), but graciously declined the invitation. When he passed away at the age of 59, he left behind a legacy of 70,000 Catholics, 15 churches, and 400 chapels.