Joseph Vaz was a priest from Goa, India, who secretly entered Sri Lanka when Catholics were persecuted under Dutch rule, and revived its Catholic communities. He is called the Apostle of Sri Lanka.
Life
Joseph Vaz was born in 1651 into a Catholic family in Goa on the west coast of India. After ordination he ministered in his homeland, and with fellow priests he formed an Oratorian community devoted to prayer and mission.
At that time the Dutch authorities in Sri Lanka had banned Catholicism, and the faithful had long been without priests. In 1687 he entered the island in disguise, like a poor laborer, seeking out Catholics in hiding to celebrate Mass and give the sacraments.
Gaining a base in the Kingdom of Kandy, he rebuilt the faith across the island and cared for the sick during an epidemic. He died in Kandy in 1711, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2015 during a visit to Sri Lanka.
Spirituality
The spirituality of St. Joseph Vaz is the missionary love that goes in search of sheep without a shepherd. He left safety behind and risked danger to be with persecuted Catholics. Poor and humble, he respected the local language and culture as he shared the Gospel.
Reflection
St. Joseph Vaz sought out believers living in hiding in a foreign land. If there are neighbors in our immigrant life who have drifted from church, can I be the first to reach out to them?