Why the feast of Goa's St Joseph Vaz was special this year

FEAST DAY

Every year, on January 16, devotees throng to Sancoale, South Goa, to attend the feast of St Joseph Vaz, the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and a son of the soil.

MEMORABLE DAY

This year was particularly special, being the tenth anniversary of the canonisation of St Joseph Vaz by Pope Francis in 2015 at Galleface, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

FEAST MASS

Archbishop Patriarch Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao presided over the high mass along with Auxiliary Bishop Simiao Fernandes, Bishop Alex Dias (Emeritus Bishop of Port Blair), Cardinal Joseph Coutts (Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi) and several other priests.

SACRED TOUCH

Posters, relic cards and other Catholic religious articles, including third-class relics of St Francis Xavier, were sold at a special stall at the venue.

FESTIVE EATS

A Goan feast is never complete without chonnekars selling freshly roasted gram and the traditional khajem (festive sweets).

FAIR DEAL

On sale at the fair were traditional earthenware pots, fashion accessories and home décor items like artificial flowers, among other things.

FESTIVE VENUE

The venue of the festive celebration was the facade of the Church of Nossa Senhora de Saude (Our Lady of Health) in Sancoale.

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