He ordered all Catholics of his Court to attend the funeral. The young King Vira Parakrama Narendra Sinha, greatly affected by the death of his friend, the saintly priest Joseph Vaz declared a three-day mourning. Just before midnight on Friday, January 16, 1711, Joseph Vaz expired with Fathers Jacome Goncalves and Miguel Francisco Ignatius de Almeyda, beside his deathbed. Live according to the inspirations of God.” “Remember that one cannot easily do at the time of death what one has neglected to do all his life. After a few moments of thought, the dying priest said in Sinhalese: He requested Father Jacome Goncalvez to send the Crucifix to the Oratory in Goa.įathers Goncalves and Miguel Francisco Ignatius de Almeyda asked Josep Vaz to give them a message that they could etch on their stricken hearts. He kissed the crucifix which Pope Clement XI had sent as a gift to him through Monsignor Charles Thomas Maillard de Tournon, the Papal Legate. When Father Goncalvez anointed him, Joseph Vaz made all the responses to the prayers for the sick and the dying.
That day, he requested a stunned Jacome Goncalvez to have the holy oils ready for the last anointing. He dragged himself to the church as usual, attended Mass, received Holy Communion and went through his daily spiritual exercises. On the morning of January 16, 1711, Joseph Vaz wanted to make his confession.
On JanuJoseph Vaz wrote the order of change of charge from him to Father Jose Menezes. Joseph Vaz realized that it was time to resign from office, both as Vicar General and Superior. He received the Sacrament of Penance every day as well as Holy Communion. In spite of his illness, Joseph Vaz undertook eight days of spiritual exercises prescribed by the Oratorian Rule. He bore his illness with great fortitude. He suffered body pain for about four months. He was unconscious when the bearers picked him up. On one occasion, when the bearers were descending a hill, he fell off the dooly. From then on, he was unable to leave the Church premises again, but whenever a call came to attend the sick and if Father Jacome Goncalvez or any other priest was not there, then he would immediately set out, but carried in a dooly (a kind of litter suspended from men’s shoulders, for carrying people or things a modified stretcher). Though Joseph Vaz recovered, he was weak. When his sufferings did not allow him even to do that, he spent the whole day in prayer.
He visited the sick in their houses.Įvery morning sitting in front of his door, he taught children Catechism. People saw him daily on the streets of the capital, dragging himself in extreme pain with the help of a stick. He could no longer go on distant excursions as before. Inspite of partial paralysis, Joseph Vaz never ceased to work. He asked Father Jacome Goncalvez to come to the capital and entrusted him with the care of the Catholics. Though he regained a bit of strength, his legs were partly paralyzed. After careful nursing, infections and fever left him, but he was found himself weak. In the capital, he was given good medical attention. As soon as he felt a bit better, sent him off on a bullock cart. In January 1710, Joseph Vaz became seriously ill and there was no physician to attend to him. Years of continuous work and hardships fatigued him and broke his constitution. He went even as far as Kottyar on the southern coast. Years of continuous work and hardships fatigued him and broke his constitution.subsided he visited the Mission.
Though weak, during the periods when the fever subsided he visited the Mission. During the last months of 1709, Joseph Vaz suffered from a peculiar kind of fever, which subsided for a short time and then recurred with renewed force.
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