TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The new saint Joseph Vaz will be greeted in Konkani at the end of the Canonization ceremony on January 14, when a group of Goan singers will sing an anthem in honour of Goa’s first saint.
“The hymn ‘Zuze Vasa Amchea Bhava’ (Joseph Vaz, our brother) will be sung by 16 Goan singers travelling to Sri Lanka and they will be accompanied by musicians from Sri Lanka,” said Fr J Loiola Pereira, secretary to Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão.
While the lyrics have been penned by prolific Goan composer and musician Fr Vasco do Rego SJ, the music has been composed by Fr Loiola Pereira and the music has been arranged by Fr Romeo Monteiro, who is currently in Rome.
This will be the only involvement of Goans at the Canonization ceremony, with the exception of Archbishop Ferrão, who will have a special role to play, since the Archdiocese of Goa and the Archdiocese of Kandy (Sri Lanka) had jointly pursued the cause for the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz.
“Archbishop Ferrão will have a special function at the canonization ceremony on January 14. He along with the bishop of Kandy will formally request Pope Francis to canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz,” said Fr Loiola Pereira.
Archbishop Ferrão along with Fr Loiola Pereira and Vicar General Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes will leave for Sri Lanka on Saturday and will return on January 15, in time for the feast of St Joseph Vaz to be celebrated at Sancoale.
