A special mass, to honor St. Joseph Vaz, was celebrated on January 15, 2017 at the quaint and beautiful St. Peter’s Mission Church in Mississauga. The church was packed with Goans from all over Toronto who braved the cold weather to attend the service.
The mass was celebrated by the Reverend Monsignor Terrence D’Souza, a proud Goan himself, who in his very detailed and inspiring homily recounted the steadfast faith of St. Joseph Vaz and urged the congregation to strive to emulate him in their daily lives.
In keeping with the true Goan spirit, the choir, led by Suzie Pereira (a very active G.O.A. member, who dedicates a fair share of her time supporting various G.O.A. initiatives in Toronto), did an outstanding job in singing most of the hymns in flawless Konkani, which resulted in a more meaningful engagement and a fuller participation by the congregation.
The organizers, Suzie Pereira, Claude Fernandes, and Tony Fernandes and other Goans in Toronto hope to make this St. Joseph Vaz Mass an annual event.