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{{short description|Indian author and yogi (1915–2006)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = J. Clement Vaz
| image = J. Clement Vaz portrait (1959).jpg
| caption = Vaz at [[Teen Murti Bhavan]] in 1959
| birth_place = [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]]
| birth_date = {{circa|1915}}
| death_date = {{Death year and age|2006|1915}}
| death_place = [[Santacruz, Mumbai|Santacruz]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| alma_mater = [[University of Bombay]] ([[Ph.D]])
| spouse = Maria Vaz
| occupation = Writer
| children = 1
| module = {{Infobox writer
| embed = yes
| subjects = {{hlist|[[Goans]]|[[Yoga]]|[[Christians]]}}
| notablework = {{plainlist|
* ''Yoga Today'' (1971)
* ''Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present'' (1997)}}
| period = 1971–1997
| language = English}}
}}

'''J. Clement Vaz''' ({{circa|1915}} – {{circa|2006}}) was an Indian writer, best known for publications like ''Yoga Today'' (1971) and ''Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present'' (1997). He served as the secretary of the Bombay Chapter of World Conference of Religions and Peace at [[New Delhi]] and [[New York City]]. He was the director in Oriental Methods of Meditation at the Centre for Indian and Inter-Religious Studies (CIIS) in [[Rome]] and was also the secretary of the International Board of Yoga in [[Bombay]].

==Personal life==
J. Clement Vaz was born in {{circa|1915}} in [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]] (now part of India). He earned his [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (Ph.D.) from [[University of Bombay]] for his thesis "Eastern Spirituality and [[Christian Ethics]]". He was also educated in [[classical yoga]]. He married Maria Correia Afonso Vaz,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Limited |first=Piramal Enterprises |date=30 July 2020 |title=Unclaimed Sales Proceeds of Fractional Shares |url=https://www.piramal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Unclaimed-Sales-Proceeds-of-Fractional-Shares.pdf |journal=}}</ref> the couple had a son, Frederick Vaz.<ref name=":0" /> After moving out of Goa, Vaz settled in [[Santacruz, Mumbai|Santacruz]], [[Bombay]],<ref name=":1" /> he would however regularly visit his hometown.<ref name=":0" /> He died in {{circa|2006}}, aged 90–91.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Navhind |title=Goa positives – The Navhind Times |date=7 February 2016 |url=https://www.navhindtimes.in/2016/02/07/magazines/panorama/goa-positives/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Career==
===Early years===
[[File:J. Clement Vaz at Teen Murti Bhavan in 1959.jpg|thumb|Vaz (extreme right) and a group of his friends with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] at [[Teen Murti Bhavan]] on 7 June 1959.]]
Vaz moved out of [[Goa]] at the age of 18 in early 1930s to pursue his [[English studies]] at the university level. As a young college student he admired the country's foremost leaders, [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru]]. He was one of the thousands gathered at the [[Belgaum]] Congress Session of 1924. After [[Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi's Assassination]] in 1948, Vaz visited [[Sabarmati Ashram]] at [[Ahmedabad]] and [[Sevagram]] near [[Nagpur]]. He also visited Nehru when he was imprisoned by the British rulers at the fort in [[Ahmednagar]] during [[India's freedom struggle]].<ref name=":0" />

===Writing===
Vaz first [[co-authored]] and edited the book titled "''Yoga Today''" with Dr. [[Jayadeva Yogendra]] of [[The Yoga Institute]] that was published in 1971. His next book was an adaption of [[classical yoga]] to [[christian spirituality]] titled ''"Maranatha Oriental Methods of Prayer and Meditation"'' which was first issued in 1990 by St. Pauls, [[Bandra]], [[Bombay]], and later in August 1994 by St. Pauls, [[Homebush]], [[New South Wales]], Australia. Three years later he published "''Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present''" in 1997,<ref name=":0" /> a [[reprint]] version was released [[Posthumous publication|posthumously]] in the year 2016.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vaz |first=J. Clement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zmuBAQAACAAJ |title=Profiles of Eminent Goans: Past and Present |date=2016 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-93-5125-201-6 |language=en}}</ref>

Vaz was also featured in a number of publications like ''Role of Religions in National Integration'' (1984),<ref name=":2" /> ''Your Health'' (1973),<ref name=":3" /> ''Dilip'' (1977),<ref name=":4" /> ''Religions and Man'' (1981),<ref name=":1" /> and ''Journal of Dharma'' (1982).<ref name=":5" />

===Religious work===
Over the years Vaz conducted various courses in India, Italy, Germany and Portugal to showcase "[[Conscious breathing|conscious controlled breathing]] with a righteous inspiration can lead to a close affinity with God". For a period of ten years, from 1975 to 1985, he was involved in encouraging [[inter-religious]] understanding in Bombay and somewhere else in assistance with [[Reverend|Rev.]] Aelred Pereira S.J. and Rev. Albert Nambiaparambil [[C.M.I.]]<ref name=":0" />

===Other substantial work===
Vaz served as the Secretary of the 'Bombay Chapter of World Conference of Religions and Peace' at its national head office in [[New Delhi]], and the international main office in [[New York City]]. He was also the Director in Oriental Methods of Meditation at the 'Centre for Indian and Inter-Religious Studies' (CIIS) in [[Rome]]. He then served as the President of 'Satsangam', a society loyal to preservation of moral and spiritual values amongst the Indian youth, and lastly as the Secretary of 'International Board of Yoga'<ref name=":0" /> and 'Friends of Yoga Society' at [[Bombay]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rkc1AAAAIAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Yoga-Mīmāṅsā |date=1971 |publisher=Kaivalyadhama |language=en}}</ref> In 1982, Vaz introduced [[Yoga]] to [[Pope John Paul II]] at Rome during his visit at the International Seminar on Drugs at [[L'Aquila]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HbvoAAAAMAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Goa Today |date=1982 |publisher=Goa Publications |language=en}}</ref>

===Post-retirement ===
Around the late 1990s Vaz was accompanied by Professor Giuseppe De Gennaro [[Jesuits|S.J.]], an Italian [[mysticist]], with his unique concept of "University of Prayer" with his intense faith in God that he had been endeavouring to spread globally and had already had travelled from its place of origin at [[L'Aquila]] in Italy, [[Rome]], [[Naples]], [[Florence]], Spain, U.S.A. and Russia.<ref name=":0" />

==Bibliography==
* ''Yoga Today'' (1971)<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Yogendra |first1=Jayadeva |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5hWAAAAMAAJ |title=Yoga Today |last2=Society |first2=Friends of Yoga |date=1971 |publisher=Macmillan Company of India |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Your Health'' (1973)<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BzlHAQAAIAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Your Health |date=1973 |publisher=Indian Medical Association |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Dilip'' (1977)<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NwMnAQAAIAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Dilip |date=1977 |publisher=Sudakshina Trust |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Religions and Man'' (1981)<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Nambiaparambil |first=Albert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bPYnAAAAYAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Religions and Man |date=1981 |publisher=Chavara Cultural Centre |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Journal of Dharma'' (1982)<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=POUnAAAAYAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Journal of Dharma |date=1982 |publisher=Dharma Research Association, Centre for the Study of World Religions, Dharmaram College |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Role of Religions in National Integration'' (1984)<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Manickam |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CgUfAQAAMAAJ&q=J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Role of Religions in National Integration |date=1984 |publisher=Centre for the Study of World Religions |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Maranatha: Oriental Methods of Prayer and Meditation'' (1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maranatha - 757850219 |url=https://www.beweb.chiesacattolica.it/benilibrari/libro/757850219/Maranatha |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=BeWeB - Beni Ecclesiastici in Web |language=it-IT}}</ref>
* ''Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present'' (1997)<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Vaz |first=J. Clement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&q=Profiles+of+Eminent+Goans%2C+Past+and+Present+J.+Clement+Vaz |title=Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present |date=1997 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-619-2 |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaz, J. Clement}}
[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Writers from Goa]]
[[Category:People from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Scholars from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Writers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Writers from British India]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian scholars]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian writers]]

J. Clement Vaz - Revision history

Pankajglobal at 18:28, 25 February 2026