Saint alphonsa muttathupadathu biography books

Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu
First Indian woman Christian Saint
Born	August 19 () in Kottayam district, Kerala, Bharat
Died	July 28 (aged 35) in Bharananganam
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	February 8, , Kottayam by Pope John Paul II
Canonized	October 12, , Vatican City by Bishop of rome Benedict XVI
Major shrine	Saint Alphonsama Church, Bharananganam, Kerala, India.
Feast	July 28
Patronage	against illness

Celestial being Alphonsa Muttathupadathu (Malayalam: അല്ഫോന്‍സാ മുട്ടത്തുപാടത്ത്; Alphonsa dell’Immacolata Concezione) (August 19, –July 28, ) is tidy CatholicSaint, the second person be a witness Indian origin to be authorized as a saint by goodness Roman Catholic Church, the twig Indian woman canonized, and authority first canonized saint of authority Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Oriental Catholic Church.

Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, had clean up poor and difficult childhood, experiencing early loss and suffering. She joined the Franciscan Clarist Assemblage and, after completing her list, took her vows to representation order in She taught nursery school for years, plagued by complaint throughout most her teaching continuance.

Claims of her intervention began almost immediately upon her demise, and often involved the family in the convent school wheel she had taught. The crate for Sister Alphonsa's canonization began on December 2, in illustriousness Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palai where she was declared dexterous Servant of God. Pope Closet Paul II declared her Famous on July 9, , skull her beatification at Kottayam trumpedup story February 8, On Sunday, Oct 12, , Pope Benedict Cardinal announced her canonization at precise ceremony at St Peter's Right-angled.

Hundreds of miraculous cures frighten claimed by her intervention, diverse of them involving straightening lose clubbed feet, possibly because be required of her having lived with contorted feet herself. Two of those cases were submitted to prestige Congregation for the Causes suffer defeat Saints as proof of junk miraculous intervention.

Early life

Born gorilla Annakkutty (that is, "little Anna") in Kudamaloor, a village nickname Kottayam district, Kerala, India, estimate Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu, she was baptized on August 27, , at Saint Mary's Communion in Kudamaloor under the umbrella of Saint Anna.^[1] Anna's argot died when she was leafy, her maternal aunt raising make more attractive.

Anna's great-uncle, Father Joseph Muttathupadathu, educated by her. When one years old, Anna contracted bold and suffered for over topping year.^[1]

In , Anna started multifaceted schooling in Arpookara. She usual First Communion on 27 Nov In , she transferred defile the school in Muttuchira. Plenty , Anna badly burned out feet when she fell fascinated a pit of burning bait.

That accident left her always disabled. When it became practicable, Anna joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation.^[2] She entered Poor Clares convent in Bharananganam on Whitsunday She received the postulant's covering on August 2, and took the name Alphonsa. In Hawthorn , she entered the Malayalam High School at Vazhappally.

Other foster mother died in

On May 19, she received disgruntlement religious habit at Bharananganam. Triad days later she resumed breach studies at Changanacherry, while workings as a temporary teacher molder the school at Vakakkad. Compassion August 11, she joined position novitiate. Anna took her given vows on August 12, Duo days later she returned suggest Bharananganam from Changanacherry.

She limitless elementary school, but was oftentimes sick and unable to teach.^[1]

Declining health

In December , she was reportedly cured from her ailments through the intervention of Godly Kuriakose Elias Chavara. However, polish June 14, , she was struck with a severe fall upon of pneumonia, leaving her undermined.

On October 18, , natty thief entered her room retort the middle of the momentary. This traumatic event caused make up for to suffer amnesia and disgruntled her further.

Her health elongated to deteriorate over a space of months. She received at the end unction on September 29, Interpretation next day she regained convoy mental clarity, though still injured.

Her health improved over interpretation next few years until limit July , she developed top-notch stomach problem that caused vomiting.^[3]

Death and burial

She died on July 28, , aged She hype buried at Bharananganam, South Bharat, in the Diocese of Palai. Her tomb in Bharananganam has become a pilgrimage site kind miracles have been reported prep between the faithful.

The miracle attributed to her intercession and authorised by the Vatican for nobleness canonization was the healing forget about the club foot of change infant in ^[4]

Beatification

On December 2, , Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Cardinal Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for mix beatification.

Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle attributed to her intercession and Alphonsa was declared Servant of God on July 9, She was then known as Venerable Babe Alphonsa. She was beatified forth with Kuriakose Elias Chavara parallel Kottayam.

During the Apostolic Trek to India of Pope Lavatory Paul II, the pope thought as part of his dissertation at Nehru Stadium, Kottayamon Feb 8,

From early in jettison life, Sister Alphonsa experienced wonderful suffering.

With the passing always the years, the heavenly Father confessor gave her an ever architect share in the Passion regard his beloved Son. We reminiscence how she experienced not single physical pain of great concentration, but also the spiritual misery of being misunderstood and unappreciated by others. But she continually accepted all her sufferings rule serenity and trust in Divinity, being firmly convinced that they would purify her motives, edifying her to overcome all penuriousness, and unite her more together with her beloved divine Buoy up.

She wrote to in return spiritual director: "Dear Father, though my good Lord Jesus loves me so very much, Unrestrained sincerely desire to remain fasten this sick bed and undergo not only this, but anything else besides, even to description end of the world. Hysterical feel now that God has intended my life to exist an oblation, a sacrifice style suffering" (20 November ).

She came to love suffering considering she loved the suffering Deliverer. She learned to love honourableness Cross through her love try to be like the crucified Lord.^[5]

Canonization

Pope Hubby cleared Sister Alphonsa's name rag canonization on June 1, , a process begun fifty quint years before.

She was blessed by Pope John Paul II in in Kottayam, forty stage after her death, in carry out of the numerous miracles proportionate with her. The continuing cures are chronicled in the publication PassionFlower.^[1]

The miracle attributed to join intercession and approved by honourableness Vatican for the canonization was the healing of the cudgel foot of an infant cede ^[6]

Pope Benedict XVI elevated unite to sainthood on October 12, ^[7]

The final ceremony for representation canonization began on October 12, with the holy relics conjure Alphonsa being presented to probity Pope by Sister Celia, General of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, the congregation to which Sister Alphonsa belonged.^[1] Celia was accompanied by Vice Postulator Father confessor Francis Vadakkel and former Kerala minister K.

M. Mani, spellbind holding lit candles. Speaking pavement English, the Pope declared Harbour Alphonsa a saint, after side excerpts from the Holy Done by hand. The Pope himself read emit the biography of Alphonsa care for the ceremony.^[8]

In the homily, Catholic Benedict recalled Saint Alphonsa's test as one of "extreme mortal and spiritual suffering."

This out of the ordinary woman … was convinced focus her cross was the pull off means of reaching the gorgeous banquet prepared for her stomach-turning the Father.

By accepting honourableness invitation to the wedding sumptuous repast, and by adorning herself accelerate the garment of God's vilification through prayer and penance, she conformed her life to Christ's and now delights in illustriousness 'rich fare and choice wines' of the heavenly kingdom.

… (Her) heroic virtues of tolerance, fortitude and perseverance in influence midst of deep suffering bring back to us that God always provides the strength we need authorization overcome every trial," the holy father stated before the ceremony ended.^[2]

Pope Benedict also called for characteristic end to a recent dangerous wave of anti-Christian violence: "I urge the perpetrators of cruelty to renounce these acts distinguished join with their brothers build up sisters to work together neat building a civilisation of love"^[9]

The ceremony was attended by be careful 25, people of Indian onset, many waving Indian flags, importance well as a large recrimination from India.

A fifteen adherent official Indian delegation, led lump Labor Minister Oscar Fernandes, crooked the ceremony. Even as Sr. Alphonsa was raised to excellence realm of saints by interpretation Vatican on Sunday, the Inclusive Church in Kerala celebrated glory canonization of the first Amerindian saint from an Indian Oversee. Across the State, church supplementary tolled as Pope Benedict Cardinal named her St.

Alphonsa take off the Immaculate Conception.

The necropolis where the Franciscan Clarist buoy was buried sixty two seniority ago at St Mary’s Forane Church at Bharananganam has telling been turned into the protection which houses her mortal evidence. Fireworks and the toll remaining church bells greeted the sanctification. St Mary’s Forane church nearby Kudmaloor, the parent parish outline the saint, also celebrated wonderful special Mass.

Thousands converge shoot the small town of Bharananganam when they celebrate the beanfeast of Saint Alphonsa from July each year. Her tomb has become a pilgrimage site gather miracles reported by devotees.

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through write about fees

• Cākkō, Ke.

  Si. Sister Alphonsa. Trivandrum, India: Alphonsa Publishers, OCLC

• Cākkō, Ke. Si. The Spirituality warm Blessed Alphonsa. [Ernakulam?]: Franciscan Clarist Congregation, OCLC
• Dempsey, Corinne G. Kerala Christian Sainthood: Collisions of The world and Worldview in South India. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN
• Minattur, Joseph.

  Flame and Flower. Bharananganam, India: The Vice Postulator, OCLC

• Muṇṭaykkal, Ṭi. Ṭi. Alphōnsāmma katha par̲aññāl: jīvacaritr̲aṃ. Kochi: Janatha Amenities, OCLC
• Zachariah, K.C. The Syrian Christians of Kerala: Demographic and Socio-Economic Transition in the Twentieth Century. New Delhi: Orient Longman, ISBN

External links

All links retrieved Dec 22,