PANAJI
A group of 123 pilgrims from Goa celebrated the Feast of St Joseph Vaz in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on Friday.
Bishop Emeritus of Kandy Joseph Vianney Fernando presided over the Feast Mass at the Chapel dedicated to St Joseph Vaz, the place where he stayed in Kandy. Fr Cyprian da Silva and Fr Morris Colaco, two Goan priests accompanying the pilgrims, were among the priests concelebrating at the Feast Mass. A number of seminarians from the Ampithya seminary also participated in the Feast Mass.
Bishop Fernando spoke on the life of St Joseph Vaz and thanked the people of Goa for giving Sri Lanka one of Asia's greatest missionaries, St Joseph Vaz. After the Feast Mass, many people offered donations for the support and upkeep of the Kandy Chapel.
The pilgrimage from Goa, which was conducted by Zion Tours, also visited Galgamua, where the miraculous ebony Cross made by St Joseph Vaz is venerated. As a very rare and special gesture, a priest took out the ebony cross so that the devotees could touch and venerate it.
It is believed that the ebony cross was made by St Joseph Vaz to protect the villagers from wild elephants and snakes. Paul Siqueira of Zion Tours told The Goan that he is in touch with the diocese of Kandy to get the ebony cross to Goa for the first time.
