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Book Review:
Chronicling the Blessed Joseph Vaz
Title: JuseVaz Munisirithai Galgamuwai
(Blessed Joseph Vaz and Galgamuwa )
Author : E Weerapperuma
Printer : Letra Graphics
Page count : 208
Price : Rs 250
Three months ago Wattala E Weerapperuma came out with the latest
book, a biography on Blessed Joseph Vaz, to coincide with the
commemoration of the 300th death anniversary of the Blessed Apostle of
Sri Lanka. He has aptly named it Juse Vaz Munisirithai Galgamuwai.
Weerapperuma, a veteran journalist, author and translator, has earned
a name through his writings on variety of subjects and issues and has
authored ten books to his credit.
The book is of value for those who are doing research and to those
keen to know what would have been the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka if
the Blessed Apostle did not come to shores of this country during a very
crucial and critical period the newly converted Catholics were going
through in the reign of the Dutch who were all out to wipe out the
Catholic faith.
The Blessed moved to Puttlam district when the Dutch were trying
their best to round him up and he went on Ministering the Catholic
community which had not seen a priests for decades. Galgamuwa is a
village in the North Western Province between Anuradhapura and
Kurunegala. This is a village surrounded by hills and fed by an ancient
tank named Arasan Weva. This area was part of the Kandyan Kingdom and
there were many Catholics living there who had fled the Dutch
persecution in the Maritime Provinces.
Blessed Joseph Vaz was trying to contact as many persecuted Catholics
as possible during his sojourn in Sri Lanka. He seems to have found a
safe haven in Galgamuwa. The legends speak of a shrine erected around a
wooden Cross that had been carved with his hands. The writer says that
this Cross is still venerated in a shrine in this village.
This is the third biography E Weerapperuma has written. The other two
are on Mother Theresa of Calcutta and His Holiness Pope John XXIII. He
quotes sources that were not previously used to support the theory of
His Grace the Archbishop Emeritus Oswald Gomis, that Christianity was
brought to our island by St Thomas the Apostle, a disciple of Christ
during the first century. He emphasizes on the services rendered by
Blessed Joseph Vaz not only to the persecuted Catholics in Sri Lanka but
also to all Sri Lankans.
He refers to the service given to Sri Lankan community during the
small pox epidemic by Blessed Joseph Vaz and his followers. They dared
to serve the victims of this devastating communicable disease and also
to bury the bodies of those who died of this epidemic. Blessed Joseph
Vaz also helped the people who were suffering from a long and severe
drought in Kandy by his miraculous and efficacious prayers. The king,
who was impressed by piety of the priest prisoner and what had taken
place in the presence of people ending the drought, released Him from
the jail after he was soaked by the torrential rain. Because of these
miracles the then King of Kandy, Wimaladharmasuriya II, not only
released him from prison, but also gave him the freedom to carry out his
missionary work and to contact the Catholics in his kingdom.
Blessed Joseph Vaz made use of this freedom to visit and encourage
Catholics in the Kandyan Kingdom who were segregated in places such as
Wahakotte, Kegalle, Ruwanwella and Galgamuwa . He also approached many
persecuted Catholics in the Maritime Provinces which were under Dutch
rule. He visited many villages around Kelani Ganga.
This book being the latest and written in Sinhala on Blessed Joseph
Vaz it is of particular importance not only because the author touches
the activities of the Blessed Joseph Vaz in the North Western province,
but also because he quotes from the writings of historians and
archaeologists who wrote about Sri Lanka during the Portuguese and Dutch
periods. It is an important historical record.
- Francis Madiwela
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