St. Joseph Vaz Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Joseph Vaz was a priest who lived in the 1600s-1700s. He was a missionary to Sri Lanka. He was also a member of the Oratorian religious order.
St. Joseph Vaz did a lot of important mission work during a time of persecution. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy missionary in many aspects of your life.
About St. Joseph Vaz
St. Joseph Vaz was born in 1651 in Portuguese, India. He had five siblings, and his parents were devout Catholics.
During Joseph’s childhood, he learned Latin and Portuguese. He was a strong student, and his fellow students deeply respected him.
After Joseph made great progress in his studies, his father decided to send him to the Jesuit College of St. Paul. There, Joseph studied humanities and rhetoric. Before long, he studied philosophy and theology at the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy of the Dominicans.
Joseph was ordained a deacon in 1675. The next year, he was ordained to the priesthood. He soon became well known as a confessor and preacher. He also began the penitential practice of walking barefoot to live as the poor did. In 1677, he consecrated himself to Our Lady as her slave.
Around this time, Joseph opened a Latin school to teach men who were discerning entry into the seminary. He soon began to feel called to missionary work.
Joseph asked to be sent as a missionary to Ceylon in Sri Lanka, but his archdiocese proposed instead that he do mission work in Canara in Southwestern India. This area was full of conflict, as different sects within the Church argued.
Joseph worked to bring peace between the conflicted factions, pointing out how scandalized the Hindus were at the fighting of the Catholics.
During this time, Joseph also did a lot of missionary work among the scattered Catholic community of the region. He set up schools and built churches. He also established confraternities to help keep the faith of the Catholics vibrant despite a scarcity of priests to minister to them.
Joseph eventually returned to his home region of Goa, where he joined a group of priests who decided to live as a community of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri.
Joseph soon learned that the situation of Catholics in Ceylon was dire, as they had not had priests to minister to them for years. Though he wished to minister to them, he was instead named superior of the mission in Canara.
After three years in this role, Joseph was finally able to travel to Sri Lanka for mission work. Because of the Dutch Calvinist government there, Joseph had to disguise himself to minister to the Catholics in secret.
Joseph spent the next several years ministering in many cities. He eventually won over authorities enough to gain some freedom for his work.
In 1711, he died at age 59 after a series of infections and illnesses.
St. Joseph Vaz’s Feast Day: January 16th
Why Pray the St. Joseph Vaz Novena?
St. Joseph Vaz is the patron saint of Sri Lanka. You can pray the St. Joseph Vaz Novena if you live in Sri Lanka or are planning to travel to Sri Lanka. Or you can pray the St. Joseph Vaz Novena for someone you know who lives in Sri Lanka or is planning to travel to Sri Lanka.
St. Joseph Vaz is also the patron saint of the archdiocese of Goa and Daman in India. You can pray the St. Joseph Vaz Novena if you live or work in this archdiocese. Or you can pray this novena for someone you know who lives or works in this archdiocese.
You can pray the St. Joseph Vaz Novena for any intention!
St. Joseph Vaz Novena Prayers
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you were raised in a devout Catholic family. Your early family life must have greatly helped you begin to grow in holiness from the time you were young. Your father chose to send you to a Catholic school, and you continued to grow in love of God.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all families.
Pray for us, that we may grow closer to God each day of our lives. Pray that we may faithfully carry out the duties of our vocation each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you were a strong student when you were young. Your fellow students greatly respected you as you studied Latin and Portuguese. As a young man, you made great progress in your studies, and you continued studying for many years to prepare for the priesthood.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all students.
Pray for us, that we may offer to God all that we do each day. Pray that we may advance in holiness at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you studied at Jesuit and Dominican colleges. You soon followed God’s call to serve Him as a priest, and you later realized that He wanted you to join the religious life as a member of the Oratorian religious order.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may inspire more men and women to serve Him in the religious and priestly vocations.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to carry out God’s will. Pray that we may be open to God’s will each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you desired to serve God as a missionary in Sri Lanka from the time you were a young priest. Though you were first sent to other areas, you were able to carry out a lot of important missionary work throughout your life as a priest.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all missionaries will be successful in their important work.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to help bring souls to God. Pray that we may preach the Gospel to others at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you were sent to do mission work in Canara at a time when there was a lot of conflict within the Church there. You worked to bring peace between the conflicted factions, and you pointed out how scandalized the Hindus were because of the fighting Catholics.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all people who work to bring about peace.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to help build up the kingdom of God. Pray that we may serve God faithfully in every circumstance.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you worked as a missionary in an area where the Church was full of conflict. You worked to bring peace between the fighting sects within the Church and to put an end to their scandalous conflict.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that the Church may be strong and her members holy.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to serve God and His Church. Pray that we may grow closer to God at every opportunity He gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, when you were a young man you followed God’s call to serve Him in the priesthood. You devoted yourself to serving God and His Church as a priest and faithfully lived out that vocation for the rest of your life.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all priests.
Pray for us, that we may faithfully carry out the duties of our vocation in every circumstance. Pray that we may truly grow in friendship with God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, when you were a young man you followed God’s call to serve Him as a priest and a missionary. You later felt Him calling you to enter religious life as a member of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all members of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri may be holy servants of God.
Pray for us, that we may always be open to God’s will. Pray that we may be eager to serve God in whatever ways He calls us to.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Joseph Vaz Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Joseph Vaz as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Joseph Vaz, you ministered to Christians in an area where the Christian faith was persecuted and had to be practiced in secret. Through your efforts, you eventually won over the civil authorities so that Catholics could practice their religion publicly.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and strengthen all Christians being persecuted for their faith.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any difficulties to deter us from serving God. Pray that we may persevere in our faith despite any obstacles we might face each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Joseph Vaz, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.