Sanctuary of St. Joseph Vaz

The Sanctuary of St. Joseph Vaz is a major Catholic pilgrimage site in Sancoale, Goa, dedicated to Goa's first canonized saint and Apostle of Sri Lanka. Built on the site of his ancestral home, it was solemnly blessed in 1922 to commemorate the second centenary of his death. The sanctuary complex includes an open-air church, the preserved Oratory Room where St. Joseph Vaz prayed, and the Holy Spring. It serves as the primary center for devotion to the saint in India.

Visitors can expect a serene religious environment centered around prayer and veneration. Key sites include the main sanctuary church, the historic Oratory Room from St. Joseph Vaz's ancestral home, and the adjacent Holy Spring. Devotees often attend daily masses or special healing services held on Fridays. A stall sells religious items like medals and books. Pilgrims must obtain prior permission from the office to enter the Oratory Room for private prayer or services.

Built to commemorate the second death centenary of St. Joseph Vaz (1651–1711), the foundation stone was laid on April 21, 1909, and the sanctuary was solemnly blessed on July 10, 1922. It stands on the site of the saint's maternal ancestral home in Sancoale, where he spent his formative years. St. Joseph Vaz was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 and is recognized as the Apostle of Sri Lanka for reviving Catholicism there during Dutch persecution.

The sanctuary is the primary center of devotion to Goa's first saint and Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. It hosts the annual feast on January 16, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims from Goa, Sri Lanka, and abroad. The site preserves the spiritual heritage of St. Joseph Vaz, including the Oratory Room and the location associated with his 'Deed of Bondage' to the Virgin Mary.