For Card Toppo, Saint Joseph Vaz and Fr Constance Lievens SJ are prophets for Asia’s new evangelisation
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Card Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, spoke to AsiaNews on the occasion of the celebration of the solemn Eucharist in Goa, on India’s west coast, in honour of Saint Joseph Vaz, the apostle of Sri Lanka, who was canonised by Pope Francis last January during his apostolic visit to the Asian country.
Saint Joseph Vaz "is a great saint for Sri Lanka, but he was Indian, and should be remembered as such,” the prelate said. “He was a great missionary who worked tirelessly for the good of the people, and an example of missionary zeal, a guide for Indian priests for his with missionary enthusiasm and love for people."
The prelate also mentioned the mission of Fr Constance Lievens, SJ (1856-1893), a Jesuit missionary who bore witness and fruit among the tribals of central India.
The solemn Mass in honour of the first Sri Lankan saint took place on Saturday in Goa’s ancient cathedral with the participation of some 60 bishops from across India. A book about the saint’s life and mission was presented along with paintings on canvas on the same theme.
Joseph Vaz was born in 1651 in Benaulin (in the Indian state of Goa) and became a priest in 1676 in the Congregation of St Philip Neri.
He went as a missionary to Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), where the Dutch East Indies Company had expelled missionaries and threatened to kill all Catholic priests found on the island. Operating underground, Fr Vaz came to the aid of local Catholics, reaching as far the capital Colombo.
He died in Kandy on 16 January 1711 and was beatified by Saint John Paul II on 21 January 1995. He is considered a model of evangelisation for the whole of Asia and hundreds of thousands of young Catholics appreciate his missionary work.
According to the Archbishop of Ranchi, "Saint Joseph Vaz was a visionary, far ahead of his time, and he did what the Second Vatican Council proposed centuries later. Saint Vaz, together with Fr Constance Lievens SJ, the Apostle of Chotanagpur, are great treasures for the Church in India.
“I am a living witness of Fr Lievens’ missionary tenderness. I am the fruit of his work. From this, I can clearly understand Saint Joseph Vaz’s mission. Their efforts gave hope to oppressed people who lived on the edge of society. They gave them back their dignity through the beauty of the Gospel."
"Saint Joseph Vaz and Fr Constance Lievens SJ are living examples of the teachings of Vatican II for the Church in Asia,” Card Toppo said. “Both are prophets of a new evangelisation. The future of the Church in India will have to go in this direction. We are very grateful to God for giving us such distinguished missionaries."
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