The Priest

THE PRIEST

MODEL STUDENT:

With such signs of a clear priestly vocation, his father took him to Old Goa for higher studies at the Jesuit College of St. Paul, where he left his mark not only as a brilliant student but also as a deeply spiritual man. Little did the Jesuits dream they carried in their bosom a new Xavier in embryo. For his philosophical and theological studies he switched over to the Dominican College of St. Thomas Aquinas. He received minor orders and the subdiaconate at the hands of the Goan Bishop of Hierapolis. Dom Antonio Brandao ordained him priest and gave him faculties to preach and hear confessions. Before he could place his charismas at the service of the people of God, he placed his life, talents and work into the hands of Mary to whom he sold himself as a "Slave" through what is known as his "Letter of Captivity", which he wrote on his knees at the feet of Mother Mary in the old church of Sancoale on 5/8/1677, the very year of his priestly ordination.

PRIEST-PREACHER- GUIDE :

Joseph Vaz received the minor order in 1671 at the age of 20; in 1674, in his twenty-third year he was ordained a sub-deacon. In 1675, he was ordained a deacon by D. Custodio de Pinho of Verna, the Vicar Apostolic of Bijapur and Golconda. In1676 he was ordained a priest by the then, newly appointed Archbishop of Goa, D. Antonio Brandao. On account of his excellent performance in his studies, Joseph Vaz was immediately given the faculties to preach and hear confessions throughout the length and breadth of Goa. At the same time, because of his brilliant records at the Seminary his ecclesiastical superiors were undecided as to what appointment they should give him. In the meantime, he went to his home at Sancoale and gave himself to prayer and preaching and assisting the parochial clergy.

He was often summoned to the capital city of Goa to preach and direct souls. Two prominent men of the time, D. Rodrigo da Costa and Luis Gonsalves Cotta, (each of whom was subsequently called to act as Governor of Goa), are said to have chosen the young priest of Sancoale to be their spiritual director. He also opened a Latin school at Sancoale to help the aspirants for the priesthood, as well as to give good education to the youth. One of his earliest pupils was his own nephew, Joseph Carvalho, who followed Fr. Vaz practically everywhere, to Kanara to the priesthood, to the Oratory and finally to Sri Lanka. Another of his pupils was Joseph de Menezes who also became a priest, joined the Oratory, followed his master to Kanara and to Sri Lanka and labored there for twenty-seven years as the first companion of Fr. Vaz and his immediate successor.

Soon after his ordination, as a new priest, Fr. Vaz started going barefoot in order to live like the poor.

THE CALL TO THE MISSIONS:

It was a period of life, as a priest without a clerical charge that the Lord turned to the island of Sri Lanka the heart of this young priest whose sole desire was to serve God and his neighbor. How this call from above came to him... and it was a Canon of the Cathedral of Goa who first made known in that city the utter misery of the Catholics of Sri Lanka and their complete abandonment.

Contact: Rector (Vice Postulator - Goa)

Sanctuary of Blessed Joseph Vaz, 413 Blessed Joseph Vaz Road, P. O. Cortalim, SANCOALE - Goa - 403710-INDIA

Contact Office Tel: 00 91 832 2550263 / 2550517 e-mail: sanjovaz@blessedjosephvaz.org [www.blessedjosephvaz.org]