Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas celebrates the Feast Mass of St Joseph Vaz along with Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barretto, Bishop of Agartala Lumen Monteiro, Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias and other priests at the site o
Photo Credits: Joseph Fernandes
PANAJI
Emphasising the need for collective efforts regardless of religious affiliations, Bishop of Daltonganj Theodore Mascarenhas on Tuesday appealed to people to unite for the advancement of the State.
"One source of pride for the Goan community is their commitment to traditional communal harmony," said Bishop Mascarenhas.
He stressed on the importance of peaceful coexistence, envisioning a united community, and appealed to God for enlightenment for those who are misguided, hoping they would see the light and contribute to the overall harmony of the State.
Bishop Mascarenhas was presiding over the Feast Mass of St Joseph Vaz, Goa’s illustrious son and Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, at the site of the old Church of Our Lady of Health, Rua Escravo de Maria, Sancoale.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barretto, Bishop of Agartala Lumen Monteiro, Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias, Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes (Vicar General of the diocese), Fr Valerian Vaz (Rector of Seminary of Our Lady, Saligao), Fr Lucio Dias (Episcopal Vicar for South Zone), Fr Raju Selvaraj, Fr Kenneth Teles (Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health Church, Sancoale), Deacon Joao Gonsalves, Deacon Rayan D'souza and 50 priests concelebrated at the Feast Mass.
Reflecting on Goa's spiritual heritage, the Bishop cited three saints as exemplary figures – St Francis Xavier who came to Goa, St Joseph Vaz who went out of Goa and Venerable Agnelo D'Souza who engaged in missionary work in Goa and Karnataka.
“They taught us how to live the faith. So, we cannot say that we do not have examples,” the prelate added.
Highlighting the global perception of Goa as a community inspired by faith, transcending religious boundaries to align with the divine will, Bishop Mascarenhas also acknowledged the unwavering love and support extended by the faithful in Goa to the Bishop and Priests in their respective parishes.
In his homily on the theme for the Feast Mass ‘Let us truly follow Jesus after the example of St Joseph Vaz’, Bishop Mascarenhas said St Joseph Vaz as a great missionary who went out of Goa and worked as a missionary in difficult situations.
“St Joseph Vaz fearlessly lived his missionary vocation taking heed of the words of Jesus, ‘Do not be afraid’. His exemplary life as a missionary inspires us to be faithful to our missionary vocation,” said the Goan prelate.
Bishop Mascarenhas commemorated the life of St Joseph Vaz, highlighting instances where the saint fearlessly served the faithful in Sri Lanka, administering sacraments creatively in challenging situations.
The bishop emphasised the saint's unwavering commitment, stating that, like St Joseph Vaz, believers should heed Jesus' call to fearlessness.
The prelate encouraged a strong faith that transcends apprehension, persecution, and illness, echoing the missionary spirit of St Joseph Vaz, who taught the importance of knowing, experiencing, and living one's faith while fearlessly proclaiming it to others.
Devotees line up to venerate the statue of St Joseph Vaz at the site of the old Church of Our Lady of Health, Rua Escravo de Maria, Sancoale.
Earlier, Cardinal Ferrão welcomed the concelebrants and the faithful, while Sr Armida Cruz SFN was the liturgical commentator and Fr Afonso Mendonca, Director of Diocesan Centre for Liturgy made the liturgical arrangements. Clifford Pereira led the liturgical choir, while Fr Kenneth Teles, Rector of the Sanctuary of St Joseph Vaz and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health Church Sancoale, thanked the congregations and all those who rendered support and assistance at the Feast.
