ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY
Saints celebrated on the 16th of January
SAINT JOSEPH VAZ, PRIEST
Saint Joseph Vaz was a Goanese priest, Apostle of Ceylon [Sri Lanka], born at Goa, April 21, 1651; died at Kandy, January 16, 1711. His parents were Christians of the Konkani Brahmin caste.
HE BECAME A FAVOURITE PREACHER AND CONFESSOR
He learned Portuguese in Sancoale, his father’s village, and Latin in Baulim, his mother’s village, studied rhetoric at the Jesuit college and philosophy and theology at the College of St Thomas Aquinas, Goa, was ordained in 1676, and became a favourite preacher and confessor.
Hearing of the oppressed state of the Catholics of Ceylon under the Dutch, Father Vaz desired to go to their rescue, but was for the time being appointed Superior of the Kanara Mission, a post which he occupied for three years.
HE JOINED THE ORATORIANS
On his return to Goa in 1684 he spent his time preaching in the villages, and joined the Oratorians then recently established in Goa, of which congregation he was soon made superior.
In 1686 he obtained permission to give up this office and to proceed to Ceylon. On landing at Jaffna he found a strong Calvinistic propaganda going on in the island, and the Catholic religion under persecution. He was therefore forced to wear disguise, and to do his work in secret.
HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE HIS GOOD WORK
Afterwards, taking up his residence in a village called Sillale where the Catholics were numerous and resolute, he succeeded in reviving the spirit of the faithful.
But this aroused afresh the vigilance of the Dutch, and he was forced to change his quarters for Putlam, where he worked with great success for a whole year. He then fixed on Kandy, the capital of a native independent state, as his centre of operations.
Being on his arrival denounced as a Portuguese spy, he was quickly put into prison, where, however, the Catholics gained access to him, thus enabling him to continue his good work.
HELP WAS SENT
In the end he won the favour of the king, regained his liberty, and began to extend his operations to other parts of the island.
About 1699 several Oratorians and other priests were sent to help him in his labours. The news of his success having reached Rome, Mgr de Tournon, the papal legate, was directed to enter into communication with him. The legate conceived the idea of erecting Ceylon into a diocese with Father Vaz as first bishop, but the latter dissuaded him from this.
In his later years Father Vaz had much to suffer from declining health, and in 1710 was unable to leave Kandy.
FR VAZ' BEATIFICATION
The subject of his beatification was first urged upon the consideration of the Holy See about 1737 by Dom Francisco de Vasconcellos, S.J., Bishop of Cochin, who also claimed jurisdiction over Ceylon. The process was begun in Goa, and a number of miracles were registered. But the non-fulfilment of certain essential formalities led Benedict XIV to cancel the proceedings, with an order, however, that they should be re-instituted.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913
Fr Joseph Vaz was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995 (at Colombo, Sri Lanka) and was canonised by Pope Francis in 2014.
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Joseph Vaz may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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