Joseph Vaz
| St. Joseph Vaz, C.O. | |
|---|---|
Apostle of Sri Lanka
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| Priest and missionary | |
| Born |
21 April 1651 Benaulim, Goa, Portuguese India, Portuguese Empire |
| Died | 16 January 1711 (aged 59) Kandy, Kingdom of Kandy |
| Venerated in |
Roman Catholic Church (India, Sri Lanka and the Congregation of the Oratory) |
| Beatified | 21 January 1995, Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 14 January 2015, Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka by Pope Francis |
| Major shrine | St. Joseph Vaz Shrine, Mudipu, Bantwal, Karnataka, India & Mahagalgamuwa, Galgamuwa in Sri Lanka |
| Feast | 16 January |
| Attributes | Mitre placed to side, holding crucifix, sun icon, Oratorian habit |
| Patronage | Sri Lanka |
St. Joseph Vaz, CO,(Konkani: Sant Zuze Vaz; Portuguese: São José Vaz; Sinhalese: ශාන්ත ජුසේ වාස් මුනිතුමා, ලංකා අපොස්තුළුවරයා Santha Juse Vaz Piyathuma, Lanka Aposthuluvaraya; Tamil: புனித ஜோசப் வாஸ்), 21 April 1651 – 16 January 1711) was an Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon.
Vaz arrived in Ceylon during the Dutch occupation, when the Dutch were imposing Calvinism as the official religion after taking over from the Portuguese. He travelled throughout the island bringing the Eucharist and the sacraments to clandestine groups of Catholics. Later in his mission, he found shelter in the Kingdom of Kandy where he was able to work freely. By the time of his death, Vaz had managed to rebuild the Catholic Church on the island.
As a result of his labors, Vaz is known as the Apostle of Ceylon. On 21 January 1995, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Colombo. He was canonized on 14 January 2015 by Pope Francis in an open-air Mass ceremony at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.
The third of six children, Vaz was born in 1651 at Benaulim, his mother's village in Goa, then known as Portuguese India, part of the Portuguese Empire. His parents, Cristóvão Vaz and Maria de Miranda, were devout Catholics. Cristóvão belonged to a prominent Naik family of Sancoale. He was baptised on the eighth day at the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Benaulim by its pastor, Jacinto Pereira.
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