Blessed Fr Jose Vaz Goans and Shri Lankans are ecstatic about the decision of the Pope to canonize him In January 2015.The Pope has waived of the third miracle after being declared Blessed. The process of sainthood is long and meticulous, but there are instances when there have been waivers. The long felt aspirations of faith There is no doubt that the bulk of the work towards his sainthood was carried on in Shri Lanka, hope and prayers both the people of Shri Lanka and Goa have been fulfilled after almost three centuries. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the year 1995.The Goa Archdiocese began the journey on 16.January 2000. Special mentioned needs to be made of late Fr Faustin DSouza, who single handed, valiantly and ardently, propagated the cause of his sainthood. Had he been alive today, his joys would be boundless.Fr.Jacome Gonsalves, and Fr.Jose Carvalho , who worked shoulder to shoulder with him must also be highlighted .Blessed Jose Vaz is declared the Patron saint of Archdiocese of Goa, thus bestowing the worthy honour on the son of the soil. He had worked in Goa and Karnataka before embarking on the perilous boat journey to Ceylon now Shri Lanka. He founded the first religious native congregation of Oratorians. It is said the doors of Sancoale Church would open automatically when he prayed at midnight. The miracle of the birth Fr Cosme was a clinching evidence that has stood the test of the process .It was a sudden, unexpected downpour of rains when he prayed public for it ,But his life of dedication and spreading faith undeterred by life threatening circumstances that is a remarkable mission of love of Christ, He not only learn the language, but wrote several books in Shenalese, thus bringing Christ to the people .His dedicated services to the people of the island Nation during the scourge of small pox, sheltering, burying, feeding is a remarkable testimony of his mission of great love. God in his power did not let him be afflicted with this highly contagious disease. The king who had abandoned his subjects during such calamity, on his return rewarded him with all the facilities to carry forward his mission. He humbly refused the title of being nominated as the Bishop of Shri Lanka With such humanitarian works and spreading of the faith, he was for the people a living saint without being raised to the altar. Hence his dedicated efforts to bring faith and Christ to people in an alien land, his propagation in the native language under persecution, threat to his own life and jail sentence, humanitarian selfless service in the face of grave calamity, miracles during his life time were more than sufficient to enhance and expedite his cause for sainthood. The history of saints of European decent for centuries is now seeing a welcome change for regional aspiration
Mother Theresa was from Albania but made her home, worked for Indian destitute s, abandoned, sick and dying on the streets of Calcutta. St Francis from Narve in Spain made his last wish to be entombed in Goa .They have universal appeal and adored likewise, but not constrained by geographical boundaries. Similarly Blessed Jose Vaz had his birth in Goa, but carried on his dedicated mission in Shri Lanka. The renovated Oratory at Sancoale and his residence at Sancoale will continue to draw faithful from all over. In recent times there were pilgrimages of the faithful from Shri Lanka to the Oratory in Sancoale in Goa , thus enhancing his presence here too The efforts, process and cause of Ven. Agnelo D`Souza need to be redoubled so that another Goan saint will similarly find the honour of altar soon without waiting for centuries, Fortunately the Pillar fathers have a well organized institution to fast forward this movement with prayers from Goans Nelson Lopes Chinchinim