‘Miracle child’ Fr Costa to attend canonization of Bl Joseph Vaz

TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: The “miracle child” Fr Cosme J Costa, whose miraculous birth was and will be the only miracle approved by the Vatican that helped Blessed Joseph Vaz attain sainthood, has been specially invited to attend the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz in Sri Lanka.

Fr Costa, a priest of the Pilar Father who hails from Aldona, will leave for Sri Lanka on January 12 and will return to Goa on January 15.

“It was the great faith of my mother that saved my life through the intercession and intervention of Fr Joseph Vaz, which led to his being on the altar,” said Fr Costa, who is professor at the Pilar Theological College.

“I have no words to express my joy and gratitude to God for having heard the prayers of countless Goans, Sri Lankans and devotees all over the world for the last three centuries for this great day, conferring full honours of the Altar on our great Goan missionary, Blessed Joseph Vaz.” “Canonization will entitle him to be honoured all over the world,” said Fr Costa, who incidentally also has Joseph Vaz in his baptismal name. The Saint Joseph Vaz also happens to be his godfather.

Despite numerous miracles attributed to Blessed Joseph Vaz, only one miracle – the birth of Fr Costa – was officially recognized by the Vatican. It concerned the difficult pregnancy of his mother, Quiteria de Noronha e Costa, due to “Placenta Previa” in 1938.

“The process of a Miracle worked by the intercession of Fr Joseph Vaz was submitted to Rome by Fr Urbino Monteiro, then vice-postulator in Goa and the canonical enquiry was held in 1991 and submitted to the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, Rome, by the Postulator Fr James Fitz-Patrick,” recalled Fr Costa.

“It was studied by five eminent Medical Surgeons from Rome and England. On October 28, 1992, the Medical Council declared, “Sudden and perfect cessation of the haemorrhages followed by the delivery by leg of a premature child that survived: this event cannot be explained in our science.”

“On February 19, 1993, the Congress of Theologians was held and on May 4, the session of Cardinals and Bishops and this fact was declared to be extraordinary. And so on July 6, 1993, Pope John Paul II declared this to be a real miracle. The beatification ceremony was held at Colombo, Sri Lanka, on January 21, 1995,” said Fr Costa.