St. Alphonsamma

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu
birth_date=August 19, 1910
death_date=July 28, 1946
feast_day=July 28
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=150 px
caption=Alphonsa Muttathupadathu
birth_place=Kottayam district, Kerala, India
death_place=Bharananganam
titles=first Indian woman Saint
beatified_date=February 8, 1986
beatified_place=Kottayam
beatified_by=Pope John Paul II
canonized_date=October 12, 2008
canonized_place=
canonized_by=Pope Benedict XVI
attributes=
patronage= against bodily ills
against illness
against sickness
against the death of parents
sick people
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=
prayer=
prayer_attrib=

St. Alphonsa Muttathupadathu (The Passion Flower) (August 19 1910 – July 28 1946), popularly called Saint Alphonsamma, is the first Indian woman to be elevated to sainthood. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1986 and decided as a saint by the pope Benedict XVI on March 1 2008. The official declaration would be on October 12 2008 as the date was decided at a meeting held in Vatican. [cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080042832&ch=3/2/2008%203:26:00%20PM |title=Sister Alphonsa to be declared saint |publisher=NDTV] [cite web |url=http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=190137 |title=Pope Announces Canonisation of India's First Native Woman Saint |publisher=Vatican Radio]

On February 8, 1986, almost 40 years after her death, Pope John Paul II beatified her at Kottayam. On June 1, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI authorised her canonization. She will be the first female saint from India and the second saint from India. In the 19th century, Saint Gonsalo Garcia, born in Vasai near Mumbai to an Indian mother and Portuguese father in 1556, was declared a saint. [cite web |url=http://www.weeklyblitz.net/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1204240824&archive=&start_from=&ucat=4&cat=4 |title=Female Indian saint of the Roman Catholic Church |publisher=BLiTZ]

Early life

Born as Annakkutty (little Anna)in Kudamaloor, a rural village in Kottayam district, Kerala, India, to Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu. She was baptized on August 27, 1910 at Saint Mary's Church in Kudamaloor under the patronage of Saint AnnaFact|date=June 2007. Anna's mother died when she was very young, so her maternal aunt raised her. Anna was educated by her great-uncle Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. When Anna was 3 years old, she contracted eczema and suffered from it for over a year Fact|date=June 2007.

In 1916 she started school in Arpookara. She received First Communion on November 27 1917. In 1918 she transferred to the school in Muttuchira. In 1923 Anna was badly burned on her feet when she fell into a pit of burning chaff. This accident left her permanently disabled.

She arrived at the Poor Clares convent at Bharananganam on Pentecost 1927. She received the postulant's veil on August 2 1928 and took the name "Alphonsa". In May 1929 she entered the Malayalam High School at Vazhappally. Her foster-mother died in 1930.

On May 19 1930 she received her religious habit at Bharananganam. Three days later she resumed her studies at Changanacherry, while working as a temporary teacher at the school at Vakakkad. On August 11 1931 she joined the novitiate. She took her permanent vows on August 12 1936. Two days later she returned to Bharananganam from Changanacherry.

She taught elementary school, but was often sick and unable to teach.

Health declines

In December 1936 she was reportedly cured from her ailments through the intervention of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, but on June 14 1939 she was struck by a severe attack of double-pneumonia, which left her weakened. On October 18 1940, a thief stumbled into her room in the middle of the night. This traumatic event caused her to suffer amnesia, and weakened her again.

Her health continued to deteriorate over a period of months. She received extreme unction on September 29 1941. The next day it is believed that she regained her memory, though not complete health. Her health improved over the next few years, until in July 1945 she developed a stomach problem that caused vomiting. [Malayala Manorama "News articles about Sister Alphonsa", Kottayam, March 2, 2008 ] .

Death

She died on July 28 1946, aged 35. She is buried at Bharananganam, South India in the Diocese of Palai.

Posthumously

Her tomb in Bharananganam has become a pilgrimage site these days as miracles have reported by some devotees. [cite web |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200802261751.htm |title=Sister Alphonsa's canonisation date to be decided on March 1 |publisher=The Hindu] The miracle attributed to her intercession and approved by Vatican for the canonization was the healing of club foot of an infant in 1999. [cite web|url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?programId=1073753693&contentId=2512288&contentType=EDITORIAL&articleType=Malayalam%20News&BV_ID=@@@| title=Malayala Manorama News Story, March 7, 2008|publisher=Malayala Manorama] [cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2007/09/02/stories/2007090250100500.htm | title= A life of suffering, Sep 02, 2007|publisher=The Hindu]

Beatification

On December 2 1953, Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Cardinal Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for her beatification. Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle attributed to her intercession and Alphonsa was declared "Servant of God" on 9 July 1985 and she became known as Venerable Sister Alphonsa. She was beatified along with Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Kottayam.

Canonization

The miracle attributed to her intercession and approved by Vatican for the canonization was the healing of club foot of an infant in 1999. [cite web|url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?programId=1073753693&contentId=2512288&contentType=EDITORIAL&articleType=Malayalam%20News&BV_ID=@@@| title=Malayala Manorama News Story, March 7, 2008|publisher=Malayala Manorama] [cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2007/09/02/stories/2007090250100500.htm | title= A life of suffering, Sep 02, 2007|publisher=The Hindu]

References

External links

* [http://www.alphonsa.com/ The official website of Sister Alphonsa]
* [http://www.alphonsamma.org/Photo/Photo.htm Photographs associated with Blessed Alphonsa]
* [http://konkanicatholics.blogspot.com/2007/06/bl-alphonsas-canonization-cause.html Pope Clears Way for Blessed Alphonsa's Canonization] - June 2 2007
* [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta1g.htm Alphonsa of India] at Patron Saint Index
* [http://www.alphonsa.net/Bharananganam.htm Shrine of Blessed Alphonsa]
* [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1986/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19860208_stadio-kattayam_en.html Pope John Paul II On Blessed Alphonsa of India]