St Joseph Vaz

Описание: St Joseph Vaz was https://tinyurl.com/2z8v5zeu born on 21 April 1651, at Benaulim in Goa to a Konkani Christian family https://tinyurl.com/4657a8kp with a Portuguese surname to https://tinyurl.com/2p9p6uz3 Chrisopher Vaz and Maria de Miranda. After his secular and religious studies, https://tinyurl.com/pr77d3uz Joseph Vaz was ordained in 1676. Joseph Vaz was a highly-sought-after preacher, and desired to follow in the footsteps of the great apostle of India, St Francis Xavier. Joseph Vaz was pious, spending much time in prayer, and caring for the poor and sick.
Joseph Vaz was a great devotee of mother Mary and consecrated himself as a slave of Mother Mary. The Portuguese government wanted to propagate Catholicism in Sri Lanka, which was under Dutch rule in those days. Joseph Vaz, who had just established the congregation of Oratorians of India, volunteered to go to Ceylon as a missionary. When Joseph Vaz learnt the condition of the Catholics in Sri Lanka being persecuted by the Dutch, his heart burnt with the desire to be a missionary there. Joseph Vaz travelled via Canara, the Malabar Coast, Cochin, Travancore and Tuticorin before reaching his destination, Colombo. Joseph Vaz’s desire became a reality after much trial and testing. Disguised as coolies Joseph Vaz and his helper reached the port of Tuticorin on Easter Sunday 1687 and under the guise of a beggar went around looking for Catholics. When the secrets were revealed Joseph Vaz earned the wrath of the other Christians and had to go through great pain, suffering imprisonment, insults and betrayals. Yet the God whom he served stayed by him and accompanied his work with miracles and wonders. Joseph Vaz was the first non-European missionary to come to Ceylon. He came, not sent by civil, royal or ecclesiastical authorities. Joseph Vaz came in simplicity and poverty.
He was also a pioneer in his methods of evangelization, and practised in-culturation, wherein the positive aspects of our culture could be absorbed by the Catholic religion, without going against Gospel values. Joseph Vaz was a pioneer in the formation of lay leaders and catechists. Joseph Vaz entrusted the local churches to the laity something that was unheard of and unthinkable in his day.

Joseph Vaz’s lifestyle was that of a true Indian Sannyasi. Joseph Vaz won the lifelong love and protection of the Buddhist King of Kandy from Dutch colonial forces who persecuted Sri Lankan Catholics for political reasons. At one point of his life, Joseph Vaz was rescued by the Muslim physician of the King. Though he came to Ceylon to minister to the Catholic community, in his evangelical charity he reached out to everyone. Leaving behind his home, his family, the comfort of his familiar surroundings, he responded to the call to go forth, to speak of Christ. Joseph Vaz learnt their culture, sang their songs, and helped build their own local Church, never imposing the western Church on the faithful.
Joseph Vaz would always keep a sack of rice to be distributed to the poor after mass.
Under the fear of being caught by the Dutch who were ruling in Sri Lanka, Joseph Vaz disguised himself as a baker, dhobi, coolie, servant, businessman and porter. It is said that he issued a command over snakes to never bite a priest. Till date, never has a priest in Sri Lanka been bitten by a snake. Joseph Vaz never kept any money with him, always depended on God and his fellow beings. Joseph Vaz had nothing to owe, and nothing to call his own. Joseph Vaz wore and owned only one cassock, which was patched and stitched all over. He would always sleep on a mat on the floor and never sought glory.
Joseph Vaz served 30 years as a priest, of which 24 of them in the Sri Lankan Vineyard and walked barefoot for the most part of his life. Despite his thin figure, he walked through the jungles like the wind.
Joseph Vaz was canonized by Pope Francis on 14 January 2015 in Colombo. Joseph Vaz is the first saint to have been canonised in Sri Lanka, the first saint of Sri Lanka and first originally from the area of Goa, India.

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