300th death anniversary of Blessed Joseph Vaz observed in Panir

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 16: The members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Panir observed the 300th death anniversary of Blessed Joseph Vaz on Jan 16, Sunday.

Fr. Stanley Monteiro, the chaplain of St. Aloysius Boys’ Home, which is located in Olavinahalli, worshipped the sacrament at the ancient church, where Blessed Joseph Vaz used to offer Eucharistic celebrations. This structure has been retained as it is while a new church has been constructed beside the Deralakatte – Mangalore highway at Beeri.
























Msgr. Denis Moras Prabhu, the diocesan vicar, celebrated the Holy Mass and also felicitated Clara Coelho, the parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy church, who has recently been elected as the member of the Taluk Pachayat (TP).

Fr. Vincent D’Souza, the parish priest of Our Lady of Mercy parish; Michael Lobo, the vice president; and Sarita Pinto, the secretary, were also present on the occasion. Fr. Vincent D’Souza thanked the members of the parish, who had arrived in large numbers.
 
Blessed Joseph Vaz
 
Blessed Joseph Vaz, a Goan missionary, served as the parish priest of Our Lady of Mercy, Panir, for a number of years. An attempt was made to murder him when he was attending the call of an ailing person in the middle of the night. But, Fr. Vaz knelt down to pray, and immediately, water gushed out of the place where he knelt. When the people who had come to murder him witnessed this miracle, they fled and the place developed into a shrine.

Today, the faithful from all over India and Shri Lanka flock to this place to offer their prayers to Blessed Joseph Vaz and obtain relief from their physical ailments.