Panaji: Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa, Daman and Diu has said that the process for canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz has reached a crucial stage as one of the miracles submitted for his cause has been accepted as worthy of study by the Vatican.

The archbishop conveyed the good news to the small gathering during the Eucharistic service celebrated outside the Archbishop's House at Altinho on Monday evening.

Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio was present and blessed the statues of Blessed Vaz and Blessed John Paul II that were installed in the compound.

The church in Goa has a reason to believe that the canonization of Blezzed Vaz may not be far and Archbishop Ferrao expressed the hope that it may happen shortly.

Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy (Sri Lanka) has communicated to the Goa church regarding the recent development in the canonization process.

Blessed Vaz, a saintly Goan priest who lived over 300 years ago traveled to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) ministering to the Catholics in that country.

A group has petitioned for the expedition of his canonization as a native saint of India and Sri Lanka.

Archbishop Ferrao urged the faithful to pray for the canonization of Blessed Vaz, referring to him as a stalwart of the Catholic faith.

The process to sainthood has different stages.

"A candidate for sainthood is first declared servant of God, then venerable and then blessed. In the final process, he or she is declared a saint and is numbered as a saint of the universal church," a church leader said.

Following his beatification in 1995, Blessed Vaz was made the patron of the archdiocese of Goa and Daman.

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has also been petitioning the Vatican for Blessed Vaz's canonization through the national secretariat of the cause for his canonization.

Source: Times of India