Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Church of Asia erupts in praise and joy at the canonization of St Joseph Vaz., who is a son of Asia. He evangelized in a different way, each one has his own unique charisms but this man is very inspiring because in spite of great conspiracies he carried on his work. I would like to talk about this great saint became of the very special missionary thrust for which his life and work offer inspiration.
St. Joseph Vaz was born in Goa and ordained an priest in Goa and volunteered to be a missionary in the island of Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon and went there disguised as a laborer. St Joseph Vaz had a passion for mission who dared to risk their lives for the sake of Christ. He walked the rural paths through the tea-gardens, in the service of the Gospel and helped revive the faith during times of persecution.
St. Joseph Vaz is an inspiring model for modern missionaries in Asia, a prophetic evangelizer. His methods of using inculturation as an approach can serve as a role-model. He tried different methods and adapted himself to the new situations. He lived like the people and inculturated the gospels, he is very creative in his methods as well as getting the laity very involved.. thus he is an example of inculturation. St. Joseph Vaz was a pioneer in the modern methods of evangelization.
Mary is the Star of the New Evangelisation, and St. Joseph Vaz wrote a Letter of Bondage offering himself as a perpetual servant of the Virgin Mother of God. (Written in the Church of Sancoale, at the foot of the altar of the same Virgin Mary Mother of God, Our Lady of Health, on this day the 5th August, the feast of Our Lady of Snows, in the year 1677). St Joseph is Asia's gift to the Universal Church and to the New Evangelisation.
(Nirmala Carvalho collaborated)
