The feast of St Joseph Vaz, patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman will be celebrated tomorrow, January 16, at the old church of Our Lady of Health at Sancoale. The Sancoale Church was built in 1606 and dedicated to the patronage of Our Lady of Health. This church however caught fire in 1834. Yet Its frontispiece still stands on the bank of the Zuari river. The present Sancoale Church was formerly a chapel founded in 1783. The Sancoale Church was elevated to the rank of a parish in 1839. In the Sancoale Parish is the sanctuary of Blessed Joseph Vaz. In 2000, Joseph Vaz was declared as the patron saint of Goa. It is pertinent to note that at Kandy in Sri Lanka this year the feast will be celebrated for the first time inside the restored chapel where St Joseph Vaz once stayed during his mission in Kandy. The chapel which was in ruins for several decades was restored following contributions from Goans. The new Jesus Mary Joseph Church at Nuvem was inaugurated recently. Likewise it would be in the fitness of things for the church authorities in Goa to rebuild the Sancoale church which was destroyed in a fire by keeping the frontispiece intact as it is part of history. This will also put to rest any unnecessary controversy arising with regards to this Holy place.
