Church spreads devotion to Bl Vaz Pio Esteves, TNN, Jan 16, 2011, 12.53am IST
SANCOALE: On January 16, the Church in Goa will celebrate the 300th death anniversary of the patron of its archdiocese, Blessed Joseph Vaz. It has already dedicated the pastoral year to this Goan missionary who worked zealously in Kanara and Sri Lanka.
Devotion to Bl Vaz has been on the rise with novenas conducted in almost every parish and with parish priests initiating pilgrimages to the Blessed Joseph Vaz sanctuary at Sancoale.
"Promoting devotion to Bl Vaz is promoting Goykarponn," says rector of the sanctuary and vice-postulator for the cause of canonization of Bl Vaz, Fr Eremito Rebelo.
"Invitations are sent to all parishes to foster pilgrimages to the holy shrine and the response is overwhelming," he smiles.
Although the jubilee year began with the commencement of the pastoral year on June 1, 2010, and will end on May 31, 2011, Fr Rebelo states that plans are afoot to form committees at the parish level to promote devotion to Bl Vaz.
"Intially, the committee will consist of 4-5 people and eventually they will form another committee at the deanery level," explained Rebelo.
To propagate devotion to Bl Vaz Archbishop-Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrao says that besides the pastoral letter, rosary and other prayers and literature on Bl Vaz have been printed and circulated in all parishes.
"Retreats and other programmes for priests have been planned based on the virtues of Bl Vaz. An operetta on his life is making rounds in villages; besides plans are under way to release a VCD on the life of this apostle," he adds.
The archbishop also reveals that plans are afoot to form groups under the banner 'Friends of Blessed Joseph Vaz' at the parish level and thus help spread sacred literature among the faithful.
"During the Lenten season, we also plan to have a retreat in all parishes in Goa based on the life of Blessed Joseph Vaz," he concludes.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Church-spreads-devotion-to-Bl-Vaz/articleshow/7294412.cms
