LONDON
A number of people from Sancoale who have settled in the UK came together under the banner of 'Villagers of St Joseph Vaz (UK)' to celebrate the feast of St Joseph Vaz, son of the soil, and Patron of Goa Archdiocese.
The feast of St Joseph Vaz is being celebrated at St Anselm’s Church, Southall-London, since 2013. This year, the Feast Mass was celebrated in Konkani by Fr Renato Andrade, the Goan Chaplain in the UK, at St Anselm’s Church, Southall.
In his homily, Fr Andrade focused on the life of St Joseph Vaz and appealed to the congregation to take him as an example to live their daily life and also seek his blessings on their families.
After the Eucharist celebration, Kanji (Pez) was served to all those who attended the Feast Mass in remembrance of St Joseph Vaz, who used to give Kanji to the sick when he lived. Each year, the number of people attending this Mass has increased significantly, helping to spread the devotion of St Joseph Vaz across the UK.
The Feast Mass was followed by a dine and dance organised for the first time, adding a special touch for the celebration.
The music and entertainment for the evening was provided by UK's Goan band ‘Rhythm Mates’, DJ Synclair, DJ Enrico, Duo Band SEBI B. & Jewella. The event was hosted by Emcee Russel D'Costa. The moments at the event were captured by McVean photography. The evening concluded with a round of Bingo and distribution of the spot prizes.
The Sancoale villagers in UK, along with devotees of St Joseph Vaz hailing from different parts of Goa, generously contributed towards the expenses of the feast and plan to make the feast of St Joseph Vaz into an annual celebration, enabling fellow villagers to come together unitedly, making this celebration into a meaningful experience for all.
