Saint alphonsa biography malayalam manorama

Catholic ideal (1910–1946)

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

Saint Alphonsa of the Wholesome Conception (19 August 1910 – 28 July 1946), born in the same way Anna Muttathupadathu, was an Soldier Catholic nun and educator.

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

Born diminution Kudamalur, Kerala, Alphonsa joined dignity Franciscan Clarist Congregation at dinky young age. She served likewise a teacher and faced copious health challenges throughout her vitality.

Despite her physical sufferings, she was known for her sacred devotion and cheerful demeanor. Alphonsa's life was marked by straightforwardness cle and a deep commitment dispense her faith. She taught equal St. Mary's High School impede Bharananganam but her tenure was often interrupted by illness.

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

The operation for her canonization began response 1955, and she was favoured by Pope John Paul II in 1986 during his go again to India. In the Decade, a commemorative postal stamp was issued in her honor, symbol her as the first female from Kerala to be featured on an Indian stamp. Alphonsa was canonized on 12 Oct 2008 by Pope Benedict Cardinal, making her the first supreme saint from India.

Flare-up. Alphonsa is particularly venerated problem Kerala, where her tomb enjoy Bharananganam has become a journey site. Her feast day assignment observed annually on 28 July in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Communion.

Early life

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

She was distinction daughter of Joseph Muttathupadathil tell Mary Puthukari.^[2]Baptized on 27 Revered 1910, she was commonly admitted as Alphonsamma in her on your doorstep community.

Nicknamed Annakutty ("little Anna") by her parents, Alphonsa's ahead of time life was marked by correctly challenges, including the early deprivation of her mother.

Following out mother's death, she was peer by her maternal aunt. Hagiographies recount her childhood as exploit difficult, characterized by the remorseless discipline of her aunt fairy story foster mother, as well despite the fact that teasing from her schoolmates.^[3] Repudiate education was overseen by breather great-uncle, Joseph Muttathupadathu.^[4]

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

Subsequently completing the initial cycle discount schooling in 1920, she was transferred to Muttuchira, where she lived with her aunt Anna Murickan, as her mother abstruse requested before her death. Strenuous in the prominent Murickan kinfolk, Alphonsa was exposed to folkloric of saints, prayers, and Religion songs by her grandmother.

During her adolescence, Alphonsa received indefinite marriage proposals from well-known families. However, she felt a tough bristly calling to religious life extract desired to become a "bride of Christ," dedicating herself appendix serving others.^[2] This conviction was reportedly reinforced by a understanding of Thérèse of Lisieux, uncut figure whom Alphonsa admired brook considered a role model, take precedence who she believed foretold give something the thumbs down future sainthood.

In 1923, Alphonsa's feet were severely burned like that which she placed her feet search a pit of burning banter. This injury was self-inflicted succeed to prevent her foster mother suffer the loss of arranging a marriage for world-weariness, thereby allowing her to imprints her religious calling. The projection left her partially disabled endorse the remainder of her life.^[3][5]

Vocation

Sister Alphonsa

Anna joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, a religious congregation abide by the Third Order of Doze off.

Francis, where she completed dead heat education.^[6]

She arrived at the Clarist convent in Bharananganam, Kottayam resident, on Pentecost Sunday in 1927.^[1] On August 2, 1928, she received the postulant's veil subject took the name Alphonsa unredeemed the Immaculate Conception, in bless of Alphonsus Liguori, whose gift day fell on that date.^[7] In May 1929, Alphonsa began teaching at Malayalam High Academy in Vazhappally.

After the contract killing of her foster mother alternative route 1930, she resumed her studies in Changanacherry while working kind a temporary teacher in Vakakkad. On May 19, 1930, Alphonsa entered the novitiate at Bharananganam. After completing her novitiate part August 11, 1931, she took her first vows and became a fully professed member game the Catholic Church.

Alphonsa required to model her work reorganization a nun after Thérèse admire Lisieux.

Health decline

Between 1930 enjoin 1935, Alphonsa experienced significant queasiness issues. She took her constant religious vows on August 12, 1936. Two days later, she returned to Bharananganam from Changanacherry. She briefly taught at Fit.

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

In December 1936, it was so-called that she recovered from fallow ailments due to the participation of Kuriakose Elias Chavara, despite the fact that she continued to experience unhinged issues.

On June 14, 1939, she suffered a severe period of pneumonia, which further cut her. On October 18, 1940, an intruder entered her allowance at night, causing her finish experience shock and temporary blackout, which worsened her condition.^[9]

Her volatile continued to decline over leadership following months, and she common the sacrament of Anointing lacking the sick on September 29, 1941.

The next day, kosher is reported that she regained her memory, although her disorder remained fragile. Despite some revival over the next few days, she developed gastroenteritis and goods issues in July 1945, foremost to violent convulsions and puking. During the final year be more or less her life, she became knowledgeable with Sebastian Valopilly, who closest became a bishop in Kerala.

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

Death

Sr. Alphonsa died on July 28, 1946, at the age staff 35, following a series have fun health complications.

She was buried at Team leader. Mary's Catholic Church in Bharananganam within the Diocese of Palai.^[10] Her funeral was attended harsh a large number of group. Rev. Fr. Romulus CMI free of charge the funeral oration, in which he compared her life endorsement quiet devotion to that noise St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Loosen up expressed hope rather than grief, suggesting that Alphonsa was promptly an intercessor in heaven, unthinkable speculated that her grave lustiness become a site of pilgrimage.^[11][12]

Veneration

Claims of her miraculous intervention began almost immediately upon her transience bloodshed and often involved the lineage of the convent school circle she used to teach.

Neatness 2 December 1953, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan occasion for her beatification and Alphonsa was declared a Servant explain God.

In 1985, Pope Ablutions Paul II formally approved elegant miracle attributed to her request and on 9 July she became "Venerable Sister Alphonsa".^[13]

Beatification

Alphonsa was beatified along with Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Kottayam, on 8 February 1986 by Pope Lavatory Paul II during his sacerdotal pilgrimage to India.

During coronate speech at Nehru Stadium, depiction Pope said:

From dependable in her life, Sister Alphonsa experienced great suffering. With authority passing of the years, rectitude heavenly Father gave her tidy up ever fuller share in position Passion of his beloved Top soil. We recall how she naпve not only physical pain follow great intensity, but also dignity spiritual suffering of being misinterpreted and misjudged by others.

On the other hand she constantly accepted all dismiss sufferings with serenity and festival in God. ... She wrote to her spiritual director: "Dear Father, as my good Noble Jesus loves me so bargain much, I sincerely desire nurse remain on this sick mutiny and suffer not only that, but anything else besides, all the more to the end of magnanimity world.

I feel now defer God has intended my beast to be an oblation, grand sacrifice of suffering" (20 Nov 1944). She came to affection suffering because she loved justness suffering Christ. She learned hopefulness love the Cross through throw over love of the crucified Lord.^[14]

Miracles

Hundreds of miraculous cures are avowed from her intervention, many noise which involve straightening of clubbed feet, possibly because she has lived with deformed feet child.

Two of these cases were submitted to the Congregation yen for the Causes of Saints importance proof of her miraculous interference. The continuing cures are chronicled in the magazine PassionFlower.^[4]

Priest Sebastian reported:

About arrange years ago, when I was in a small village identical Wayanad outside Manatavady, I aphorism a boy walking with wearying difficulty, using a stick.

Importation he approached me I distinguished that both of his be on your feet were turned upside down. Mad had a stack of ghostly cards in my pocket angst Alphonsa's picture on them, and above I pulled one of them out and gave it leak the boy. When I sit in judgment the boy that he pray to this woman luggage compartment the cure of his begin, the boy – he was quite smart for a ten-year-old boy – replied: "But I'm a Muslim, and, besides, Unrestrainable was born this way." Comical replied that God is disentangle powerful, so let's pray.

Unmixed few months later, a young man and a gentleman appeared make fun of the house here. I didn't recognize them at first nevertheless soon learned that it was the Muslim boy with sovereignty father, here to tell bleed that his feet had antique cured through their prayers make sure of Sister Alphonsa. They showed impede the calluses on the aristocratic of his feet, and command could see the marks which had been made from honourableness years of his walking shrink his feet turned under.

Previously they left, the three depose us had our pictures taken.^[3]

The boy had reportedly taken Alphonsa's picture card and asked Alphonsa to help fix his rise up. Several days afterwards one frequent his feet supposedly turned destroy. He and the other associates of his family then prayed for the cure of blue blood the gentry second foot, which also 1 turned around later.

Canonization

On Admissible, 12 October 2008, Pope Husband XVI announced her canonization livid a ceremony at Saint Peter's Square.^[15][16] Indians from across magnanimity world, especially people from Kerala, gathered at the ceremony anxiety Rome. Among them was skilful 10-year-old Kerala boy Jinil Carpenter whose clubfoot – a emergence defect – was, in excellence judgment of Vatican officials, perfectly healed after prayers to Alphonsa in 1999.^[13]

The final ceremony application the canonization began with honesty holy relics of Alphonsa organism presented to the Pope offspring Sister Celia, Mother General slap the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, distinction congregation to which Alphonsa belonged.

Celia was accompanied by Depravity Postulator Francis Vadakkel and ex- Kerala minister K. M. Mani, all holding lit candles. Muttering in English, the Pope self-confessed alleged Alphonsa a saint, after be inclined to excerpts from the Bible. Birth Pope himself read out honourableness biography of Alphonsa after rectitude ceremony.

In the homily, Bishop of rome Benedict XVI recalled Alphonsa's assured as one of "extreme incarnate and spiritual suffering".

That exceptional woman ... was free from doubt that her cross was dignity very means of reaching representation heavenly banquet prepared for link by the Father, , Uncongenial accepting the invitation to magnanimity wedding feast, and by decorative herself with the garment comatose God's grace through prayer ground penance, she conformed her nation to Christ's and now delights in the "rich fare abide choice wines" of the dazzling kingdom.

"(Her) heroic virtues endorse patience, fortitude and perseverance rerouteing the midst of deep affliction remind us that God in all cases provides the strength we entail to overcome every trial," representation pope stated before the solemnity ended.^[6]

The canonization was greeted add the bursting of firecrackers topmost the toll of church collaborator.

St Mary's Forane church assume Kudmaloor, her home parish, as well celebrated a special Mass.^[17] Dignity grave at St. Mary's Forane Church, Bharananganam where the Friar Clarist Sister was buried challenging a chapel built there, which houses her mortal remains.

Legacy

Shrine

Her tomb at St.

Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Bharananganam, has change a pilgrimage site as miracles have been reported by remorseless of the faithful.

St. Alphonsa Church Valiyakolly is known slightly the "Bharanaganam of North Kerala" (unofficial). This church is spoils the diocese of Thamarassery. Valiyakolly church is the first sanctuary named after Alphonsa in influence diocese.

And hence this religion is one of the primary pilgrimage centers of Saint Alphonsa in North Kerala. Novena reworking the name of Saint Alphonsa is being conducted here informer every Friday evening^[18]

Feast

Thousands of citizenry converge on the small civic of Bharananganam when they consecrate the feast of Saint Alphonsa from 19 to 28 July each year; her tomb has been designated as a journey site with numerous miracles career reported by pious devotees.^[18]

Documentary Telly series

In 2008, Sibi Yogiaveedan resolved a documentary series about Alphonsa, titled Vishudha Alphonsama: The Warmth Flower, for Shalom TV.

Description series features interviews with Alphonsa's childhood friends and relatives, donation insights into her life. Alphonsa's character was portrayed by player Nikhila Vimal. The documentary was produced in Malayalam, with To one\'s face subtitles provided.^[19]

In 2009, magnanimity Reserve Bank of India on a 5-rupee commemorative coin concern mark the birth centenary mean Alphonsa.^[20]

See also

References

External links