Saint Joseph Vaz

Biography

Saint Joseph Vaz, also known as the Apostle of Ceylon and the Apostle of Sri Lanka, was born on April 21, 1651, in Benaulim, Salcette, Goa, India. He came from a devout Christian family of the Konkani Brahmin caste, being the third of six children born to Christopher Vaz and Maria de Miranda. From a young age, Joseph showed great dedication to his faith. He received his education in Sancoale and Benaulim, where he learned Portuguese and Latin. Joseph furthered his studies at the Jesuit Goa University, specializing in humanities, and later pursued philosophy and theology at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy. In 1676, Joseph was ordained a priest and became a preacher and confessor. He demonstrated a deep devotion to Our Lady, consecrating himself as a "slave of Mary" in 1677, sealing his commitment with a document known as his "Letter of Enslavement." Around this time, Joseph became aware of the plight of Catholics in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). Persecuted by the Dutch, the Catholic community in Ceylon had been without priests for 50 years. Joseph sought permission to work in Ceylon but was initially asked to go to the mission in Kanara. Though he accepted this assignment, his heart remained set on serving in Ceylon. While working as a Vicar of Vara in Kanara, Joseph engaged in various pastoral activities, including preaching, hearing confessions, visiting the sick, assisting the poor, and even helping to free Christian slaves. He also strived to resolve jurisdictional disputes that hindered the administration of sacraments. During his time in Kanara, Joseph joined a congregation of priests in Goa known as the Church of the Holy Cross of Miracles. He was eventually elected as the superior and endowed this Oratory with definitive canonical status. Joseph introduced religious exercises and charitable activities, training its members for mission work. However, in 1686, he relinquished his position in preparation for his journey to Ceylon. Disguised as an itinerant worker, Joseph made his way to the port of Tuticorin on Easter of 1687. From there, he proceeded to Jaffna, a Dutch stronghold in the north of Ceylon. Unfortunately, his arduous journey resulted in him contracting acute dysentery. After recovering, he began his mission by reaching out to local Catholics and seeking refuge from the Dutch. A courageous Catholic sheltered Joseph, enabling him to minister to his secret flock under the cover of night. Despite always being one step ahead of the authorities, Joseph continued his work, eventually establishing himself in the Catholic village of Sillalai in 1689. From there, he extended his ministry to surrounding villages. In 1690, Joseph moved on to Puttalam in the Kingdom of Kandy, where a thousand Catholics had not seen a priest for 50 years. He decided to make Kandy the center of his apostolate and sought royal permission to travel freely. However, instead of obtaining the desired permission, Joseph found himself imprisoned due to false accusations fabricated by Calvinist adversaries. While in prison, he learned Sinhala, the local language, and took advantage of the guards' leniency to build a hut-church and later a proper church dedicated to Our Lady. He even converted other prisoners through his ministry. In 1696, a severe drought struck the Kingdom of Kandy. The king, having exhausted other means, turned to the Buddhist monks for prayers, but no rain fell. Joseph was then approached, and he erected an altar and cross in the center of the square. As he prayed, abundant rain began to pour while he remained dry. Impressed by this "miracle," the king granted Joseph the license to preach throughout the kingdom. Taking advantage of this newfound freedom, Joseph made a mission visit to the Dutch-controlled areas, including Colombo, to meet the Catholics there. In 1697, three missionaries from the Oratory of Goa arrived to assist him. They brought the news that Don Pedro Pacheco, the Bishop of Cochin, had appointed Joseph as the Vicar General in Ceylon. Joseph diligently worked to organize the mission structure and faced the challenge of a smallpox outbreak in Kandy. His care for the sick and his dedication convinced the king to grant him every possible freedom in his work. Joseph continued to expand his mission, visiting the main centers of the island. In 1699, he returned to Kandy with Father Joseph de Carvalho, who had been expelled from the region due to the influence of Buddhist monks. Joseph completed the construction of a new church and served as a translator, translating Portuguese books into Sinhala for the king. From this vantage point, he intensified his ministry and successfully converted some notable Sinhalese individuals, which led to slander against him and persecution of the converts. In 1705, more missionaries arrived, allowing Joseph to organize the mission into eight districts, each under the guidance of a priest. He also focused on the creation of Catholic literature equal in stature to the Buddhist literature and worked to affirm the rights of Catholics under the Dutch Protestant Government. Though Joseph lost his mentor, King Vimaladharna Surya II, in 1707, his successor, King Narendrasimha, proved to be an even greater supporter of his mission. In 1708, additional missionaries arrived, and in 1710, despite health problems, Joseph embarked on another apostolic trip. However, upon his return to Kandy, he fell ill from the strain of the journey. He reached Kandy in serious condition, recovered from various infections and fevers over the following year but, ultimately, succumbed to age, disease, and exhaustion. Before his passing, he undertook nine days of spiritual exercises as prescribed by the Rule, but he was summoned to eternity by God before the seventh day. Saint Joseph Vaz died in the late night of January 17, 1711, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, due to natural causes. Such was the size of the mourning crowds that his body had to be exposed for three days. He was buried in the church in Kandy. In recognition of his holiness and dedication to spreading the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka, Saint Joseph Vaz was venerated on May 13, 1989, by Pope John Paul II. He was later beatified on January 21, 1995, by Pope John Paul II during an event in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Finally, on September 17, 2014, Pope Francis confirmed his canonization in a plenary session sentence, which was further affirmed on October 20, 2014, during a consistory for canonization. The official canonization celebration took place on January 14, 2015, at the Galle Face Green park in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Saint Joseph Vaz is now venerated as the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Goa and Damão in India. His remarkable life serves as an inspiration to all Catholics, particularly those in Sri Lanka and India, encouraging them to live their faith with unwavering dedication and commitment to spreading the Gospel.