A Goan Saint

Pope Francis fulfilled a long-cherished dream of the clergy and faithful in Sri Lanka and Goa -as also other parts of the Indian subcontinent -as he declared Blessed Joseph Vaz a saint before a sea of devotees at the expansive Galle Face Green. The historic declaration, made in Latin, to honour the 17th century Goan priest for his exemplary missionary work during his lifetime drew thunderous applause from the over six-lakh-strong congregation, the biggest gathering the oceanside park has seen till date.
Church bells pealed as the faithful of Sri Lank a and Goa rejoiced in their first-ever saint, a deserving culmination to St Vaz's canonization process that had begun circa 1737. The pope arrived at the venue of the Mass in an open-top car, and traversed the four corners of the teeming 500-metre-long park waving to the faithful. Flags fluttered in the sea breeze as the people accorded the pontiff a warm welcome. Vaz is only the fifth Indian saint to be venerated by the Universal Church. He follows St Gonsalo Garcia (from Bassein, now Vasai in Thane district), who was canonized in 1862, St Alphonsa, the first woman of Indian origin who was canonized in 2008, and St Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who, along with St Euphrasia (all from Kerala), was canonized in 2014.
St Vaz worked in Kanara, Karnataka, after his ordination in 1676, and then in Sri Lanka from 1687. He is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries of Asia along with the Spanish St Francis Xavier.
His 24 years of apostolic work across Sri Lanka, amid severe persecution by the Dutch Calvinists, was instrumental in reviving the Catholic faith of the island nation.Adept at working in the guise of a beggar, coolie or labourer, St Vaz walked barefoot and consumed only rice gruel while he ministered to the poorest of the poor.
He endeared himself to people of all faiths and was referred to as `Samanasu Swami' (angelic priest) by the Sri Lankan faithful. The Buddhists are known to have recorded the miracle of rainfall when, at the request of their king, St Vaz prayed for the mercy during a period of extreme drought.
Pointing out how St Vaz rose above the barriers of religion to uphold the importance of peace, Pope Francis, during his homily , urged the congregation to respect other faiths even as he called for peace and reconciliation in the island country . The pontiff also stressed that religious freedom is a fundamental right, stating that intimidation and coercion should not restrict anybody from expressing his/he r religious convictions.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, who spoke later, expressed gratitude to Goa for the gift of St Vaz as he called the saint the `pride of Goa'. He hoped that through St Vaz's intercession, the wounds of the war-ravaged nation would be healed. Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao, lead the Goan presence at the ceremony .
A holiday was declared in Sri Lanka on Wednesday , to allow the faithful to attend the solemn event. It was the second of its kind after the visit of Pope (now saint) John Paul II on January 21, 1994. A restricted holiday was declared in Goa on the occasion.
A total of 20 cardinals and bishops, and about 100 priests including members of the Goan clergy attended the ceremony . The Pope paid a visit to Madhu in northern Sri Lanka, in a helicopter later in the afternoon. The area, previously dominated by Tamils, was a hotbed of violence. Madhu, which is home to the shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, is visited by f aithful like Vailankani (Tamil Nadu) is in India.