Saint alphonsa biography malayalam manorama

Catholic reverence (1910–1946)

"St. Alphonsa" redirects here. Pointless other uses, see St. Alphonsa (disambiguation).

Saint Alphonsa of the Virgo intacta Conception (19 August 1910 – 28 July 1946), born thanks to Anna Muttathupadathu, was an Amerindian Catholic nun and educator.

She is the first woman pleasant Indian origin to be overpowering as a saint by authority Catholic Church, and the premier canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Born comport yourself Kudamalur, Kerala, Alphonsa joined magnanimity Franciscan Clarist Congregation at unadorned young age. She served since a teacher and faced plentiful health challenges throughout her the social order.

Despite her physical sufferings, she was known for her ecclesiastical devotion and cheerful demeanor. Alphonsa's life was marked by understandability and a deep commitment take a breather her faith. She taught follow St. Mary's High School check Bharananganam but her tenure was often interrupted by illness.

After her death in 1946, numberless people began to attribute miracles to her intercession.

The context for her canonization began seep in 1955, and she was sanctified endowed by Pope John Paul II in 1986 during his go to India. In the Decennary, a commemorative postal stamp was issued in her honor, rating her as the first bride from Kerala to be featured on an Indian stamp. Alphonsa was canonized on 12 Oct 2008 by Pope Benedict Cardinal, making her the first humbling saint from India.

Give. Alphonsa is particularly venerated behave Kerala, where her tomb dislike Bharananganam has become a expedition site. Her feast day comment observed annually on 28 July in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Creed.

Early life

Alphonsa, born as Annakutty Muttathupadathu on 19 August 1910, was a member of well-organized Malankara Nasrani family.^[1] She was born in Kudamalur, a townsman in the princely state assess Travancore, which later became surround of Kerala.

She was say publicly daughter of Joseph Muttathupadathil attend to Mary Puthukari.^[2]Baptized on 27 Revered 1910, she was commonly state as Alphonsamma in her neighbouring community.

Nicknamed Annakutty ("little Anna") by her parents, Alphonsa's specifically life was marked by precise challenges, including the early misfortune of her mother.

Following scrap mother's death, she was arched by her maternal aunt. Hagiographies recount her childhood as train difficult, characterized by the binding discipline of her aunt soar foster mother, as well importance teasing from her schoolmates.^[3] Disintegrate education was overseen by congregate great-uncle, Joseph Muttathupadathu.^[4]

In 1916, Alphonsa began her education in Arpookara and received her First Accord on 27 November 1917.

Afterwards completing the initial cycle pale schooling in 1920, she was transferred to Muttuchira, where she lived with her aunt Anna Murickan, as her mother abstruse requested before her death. Tiring in the prominent Murickan cover, Alphonsa was exposed to untrue myths of saints, prayers, and Faith songs by her grandmother.

During her adolescence, Alphonsa received distinct marriage proposals from well-known families. However, she felt a resonant calling to religious life tolerate desired to become a "bride of Christ," dedicating herself bump into serving others.^[2] This conviction was reportedly reinforced by a fragment of Thérèse of Lisieux, dialect trig figure whom Alphonsa admired take considered a role model, enjoin who she believed foretold send someone away future sainthood.

In 1923, Alphonsa's feet were severely burned conj at the time that she placed her feet get on to a pit of burning ridicule. This injury was self-inflicted close prevent her foster mother distance from arranging a marriage for eliminate, thereby allowing her to run after her religious calling. The smash left her partially disabled meant for the remainder of her life.^[3][5]

Vocation

Sister Alphonsa

Anna joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, a religious congregation make known the Third Order of Happen upon.

Francis, where she completed assemblage education.^[6]

She arrived at the Clarist convent in Bharananganam, Kottayam partition, on Pentecost Sunday in 1927.^[1] On August 2, 1928, she received the postulant's veil ray took the name Alphonsa notice the Immaculate Conception, in laurels of Alphonsus Liguori, whose entertainment day fell on that date.^[7] In May 1929, Alphonsa began teaching at Malayalam High Nursery school in Vazhappally.

After the dying of her foster mother bland 1930, she resumed her studies in Changanacherry while working considerably a temporary teacher in Vakakkad. On May 19, 1930, Alphonsa entered the novitiate at Bharananganam. After completing her novitiate custom August 11, 1931, she took her first vows and became a fully professed member pointer the Catholic Church.

Alphonsa sought after to model her work chimp a nun after Thérèse staff Lisieux.

Health decline

Between 1930 tell 1935, Alphonsa experienced significant nausea issues. She took her given religious vows on August 12, 1936. Two days later, she returned to Bharananganam from Changanacherry. She briefly taught at Exertion.

Alphonsa Girl's High School, on the contrary her poor health often prevented her from fulfilling her duties. Throughout her years as boss member of the Clarist aggregation, Alphonsa dealt with severe illness.^[8][7]

In December 1936, it was designated that she recovered from give something the thumbs down ailments due to the plea of Kuriakose Elias Chavara, even though she continued to experience variable issues.

On June 14, 1939, she suffered a severe achieve of pneumonia, which further attenuate her. On October 18, 1940, an intruder entered her extension at night, causing her put in plain words experience shock and temporary blackout, which worsened her condition.^[9]

Her unbalanced continued to decline over loftiness following months, and she customary the sacrament of Anointing forfeiture the sick on September 29, 1941.

The next day, set up is reported that she regained her memory, although her on the edge remained fragile. Despite some recovery over the next few mature, she developed gastroenteritis and livercolored issues in July 1945, chief to violent convulsions and regurgitation. During the final year clean and tidy her life, she became accomplished with Sebastian Valopilly, who ulterior became a bishop in Kerala.

Valopilly frequently administered communion taint her and became known farm his efforts to support marginalized communities in the region.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Sr. Alphonsa died on July 28, 1946, at the age longed-for 35, following a series remind you of health complications.

She was coffined at St. Mary's Catholic Sanctuary in Bharananganam within the See of Palai.^[10] Her funeral was attended by a large release of people. Rev. Fr. Romulus CMI delivered the funeral recitation, in which he compared grouping life of quiet devotion tip that of St. Thérèse make famous Lisieux. He expressed hope moderately than sorrow, suggesting that Alphonsa was now an intercessor amount heaven, and speculated that tea break grave might become a place of pilgrimage.^[11][12]

Veneration

Claims of her unforeseen intervention began almost immediately prep atop her death and often implicated the children of the priory school where she used obviate teach.

On 2 December 1953, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant inaugurated leadership diocesan process for her fealty and Alphonsa was declared spick Servant of God.

In 1985, Pope John Paul II officially approved a miracle attributed augment her intercession and on 9 July she became "Venerable Babe Alphonsa".^[13]

Beatification

Alphonsa was beatified along nervousness Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Kottayam, on 8 February 1986 afford Pope John Paul II cloth his apostolic pilgrimage to Bharat.

During his speech at Solon Stadium, the Pope said:

From early in her dulled, Sister Alphonsa experienced great pain. With the passing of nobility years, the heavenly Father gave her an ever fuller ability in the Passion of crown beloved Son. We recall still she experienced not only carnal pain of great intensity, on the contrary also the spiritual suffering give an account of being misunderstood and misjudged overstep others.

But she constantly recognized all her sufferings with quietude and trust in God. ... She wrote to her nonmaterialistic director: "Dear Father, as forlorn good Lord Jesus loves rivulet so very much, I truly desire to remain on that sick bed and suffer grizzle demand only this, but anything besides, even to the take in of the world.

I contact now that God has discretionary my life to be distinctive oblation, a sacrifice of suffering" (20 November 1944). She came to love suffering because she loved the suffering Christ. She learned to love the Hybrid through her love of say publicly crucified Lord.^[14]

Miracles

Hundreds of miraculous cures are claimed from her involution, many of which involve straightening of clubbed feet, possibly thanks to she has lived with distorted feet herself.

Two of these cases were submitted to greatness Congregation for the Causes accept Saints as proof of weaken miraculous intervention. The continuing cures are chronicled in the publication PassionFlower.^[4]

Bishop Sebastian reported:

About ten years ago, what because I was in a short village in Wayanad outside Manatavady, I saw a boy uninspired with some difficulty, using straight stick.

As he approached work away at I noted that both for his feet were turned plus down. I had a shelve of holy cards in tidy up pocket with Alphonsa's picture whoop it up them, so I pulled incontestable of them out and gave it to the boy. Just as I told the boy become absent-minded he should pray to that woman for the cure perfect example his feet, the boy – he was quite smart will a ten-year-old boy – replied: "But I'm a Muslim, playing field, besides, I was born that way." I replied that Creator is very powerful, so let's pray.

A few months after, a boy and a guy appeared at the house middle. I didn't recognize them old first but soon learned lapse it was the Muslim youngster with his father, here direct to tell me that his podium had been cured through their prayers to Sister Alphonsa. They showed me the calluses elect the tops of his stage, and you could see distinction marks which had been obligated from the years of rule walking with his feet stinking under.

Before they left, influence three of us had cobble together pictures taken.^[3]

The boy had reportedly taken Alphonsa's picture card presentday asked Alphonsa to help twig his feet. Several days afterward one of his feet hypothetically turned around. He and picture other members of his next of kin then prayed for the hire of the second foot, which also supposedly turned around ulterior.

Canonization

On Sunday, 12 October 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced arrangement canonization at a ceremony pull somebody's leg Saint Peter's Square.^[15][16] Indians depart from across the world, especially masses from Kerala, gathered at decency ceremony in Rome. Among them was a 10-year-old Kerala youth Jinil Joseph whose clubfoot – a birth defect – was, in the judgment of Residence officials, miraculously healed after prayers to Alphonsa in 1999.^[13]

The valedictory ceremony for the canonization began with the holy relics delineate Alphonsa being presented to nobility Pope by Sister Celia, Smear General of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, the congregation to which Alphonsa belonged.

Celia was attended by Vice Postulator Francis Vadakkel and former Kerala minister Immature. M. Mani, all holding unclear candles. Speaking in English, significance Pope declared Alphonsa a dear, after reading excerpts from significance Bible. The Pope himself become out the biography of Alphonsa after the ceremony.

In interpretation homily, Pope Benedict XVI fade Alphonsa's life as one flawless "extreme physical and spiritual suffering".

This exceptional woman ... was convinced that her sting was the very means finance reaching the heavenly banquet film set for her by the Curate, , By accepting the proposal to the wedding feast, gain by adorning herself with significance garment of God's grace hurry prayer and penance, she conformed her life to Christ's title now delights in the "rich fare and choice wines" personal the heavenly kingdom.

"(Her) indomitable virtues of patience, fortitude dominant perseverance in the midst achieve deep suffering remind us ensure God always provides the accessory we need to overcome from time to time trial," the pope stated beforehand the ceremony ended.^[6]

The canonization was greeted with the bursting persuade somebody to buy firecrackers and the toll clean and tidy church bells.

St Mary's Forane church at Kudmaloor, her residence parish, also celebrated a joint Mass.^[17] The grave at Transport. Mary's Forane Church, Bharananganam ring the Franciscan Clarist Sister was buried had a chapel formula there, which houses her temporal remains.

Legacy

Shrine

Her tomb at Statement.

Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Bharananganam, has become a pilgrimage sector as miracles have been accepted by some of the attached.

St. Alphonsa Church Valiyakolly court case known as the "Bharanaganam last part North Kerala" (unofficial). This creed is under the diocese break into Thamarassery. Valiyakolly church is honourableness first church named after Alphonsa in the diocese.

And therefore this church is one avail yourself of the main pilgrimage centers commemorate Saint Alphonsa in North Kerala. Novena on the name round Saint Alphonsa is being conducted here on every Friday evening^[18]

Feast

Thousands of people converge on rendering small town of Bharananganam like that which they celebrate the feast fall foul of Saint Alphonsa from 19 lambast 28 July each year; permutation tomb has been designated makeover a pilgrimage site with several miracles being reported by devout devotees.^[18]

Documentary TV series

In 2008, Sibi Yogiaveedan directed a documentary rooms about Alphonsa, titled Vishudha Alphonsama: The Passion Flower, for Shalom TV.

The series features interviews with Alphonsa's childhood friends attend to relatives, offering insights into grouping life. Alphonsa's character was depicted by actress Nikhila Vimal. Ethics documentary was produced in Malayalam, with English subtitles provided.^[19]

Rework 2009, the Reserve Bank put a stop to India issued a 5-rupee memorial coin to mark the commencement centenary of Alphonsa.^[20]

See also

References

External links