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BIOGRAPHY

Also known as

• Alphonsa Muttathupadathu
• Alphonsa of Bharananganam
• Anna Muttathupadathu
• Annakutty

Memorial

• 28 July

Profile

Born in a rural area to Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu. Baptized on 27 August 1910. Her mother died when Anna was very young, and she was raised by her maternal aunt, and educated by her great-uncle Fathe Joseph Muttathupadathu. At age 3 she contracted an infected eczema from which she suffered for over a year. Made her first Communion on 27 November 1917. Badly burne on her feet when she accidentally fell into a pit of burning chaff, leaving her permanently partially disabled. Joined the Poor Clare convent at Bharananganam on 2 August 1928, taking the name Alphonsa, and making her vows on 12 August 1936.

She lost her aunt/foster-mother in 1930. Worked as a primary school taught, and the children loved her for her gentleness and cheery way, but health problems often kept her from the classroom. In December 1936 she was miraculously cured from her ailments through the intervention of SaintTherese of Lisieux and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. However, in June 1939 she was struck by a severe attack of pneumonia, weakening her overall. On 18 October 1940 a thief stumbled into her room in the middle of the night; the shock of the event caused Alphonsa to suffer a loss of memory, and further weakened her. Her condition continued deteriorated for months, and she was given last rites on 29 September 1941; the next day, she regained her memory, though not complete health. She enjoyed some improvement over the next few years, but in July 1945 she developed a stomach problem that eventually led to her death.

She was noted for her suffering, and suffering in silence. Incidents of her intervention began almost immediately upon her death, and often involved the children in the convent school. Hundreds of miraculous cures are claimed for her intervention, many of involving straightening of clubbed-feet, possibly because of her having lived with deformed feet herself; two of these were submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as proof of her miraculous intervention. The continuing cures are chronicled in the magazine PassionFlower. Thousands converge on the small town of Bharananganam when they celebrate the feast of Saint Alphonsa from 19 to 28 July each year.

SAINT ALPHONA CANONISATION PICS

Pope Benedict XVI gave India her first woman saint yesterday at St. Peters Square, Rome and appealed for an end to the anti-Christian violence in some parts of the country. (See the St. Alphonsa Canonization Pics given above)

The canonisation of Sister Alphonsa, a Franciscan Clarist nun from Kerala who died 62 years ago aged 36, is seen as a morale boost for India’s 2 per cent minority Christians, under attack in Orissa and Karnataka.

Violence continued in Orissa’s Kandhamal even on the day of canonisation, but Indian Christians drew strength from Alphonsa’s sainthood, even speaking of forgiving their attackers. “At a time evil is so widespread, it is good to have something like this to keep our spirits up,” said Sister Grace Kalariparampil, 77, who knew Alphonsa, in Bharananganam town where the saint lived and worked.

After the ceremony in St Peter’s Square, Rome, Benedict had a message in English for the 5,000 Indians in the crowd of tens of thousands: “As the Christian faithful of India give thanks to God for their first native daughter to be presented for public veneration, I wish to assure them of my prayers during this difficult time.” He added: “I urge the perpetrators of violence to renounce these acts and join with their brothers and sisters to work together in building a civilisation of love.”

Benedict later met the Indian delegates, who included Union and state ministers from Kerala. India has the largest population of Catholics in Asia after the Philippines. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to France, numerous Western politicians had sharply denounced the violence in Orissa and called upon New Delhi to prevent further attacks. Prime Minister responded to these by insisting that religious freedom was guaranteed in the country’s Constitution and would be defended by his government.

Reacting to the Pope’s message, Arup Jena, a Christian from Kandhamal, said: “Of course, this is the right time for the believers to show love towards the enemy during the difficult time…. Jesus had forgiven his persecutors.”

Church bells rang and firecrackers went off in Kerala, where thousands packed into a small church and school auditorium in Bharananganam to watch the canonisation ceremony on TV. Former athlete Shiny Wilson, who came with her husband and two children to pray at Alphonsa’s ancestral home in Kudamalur, attributed her career success to the nun.

“I prayed to Alphonsa to help me do well at the Asian championships in 1985. I set a record in 800m and it’s because of her. In gratitude, I donated the gold medal to her memory at the box,” Shiny said. An Indian man of Portuguese parentage, Gonsalo Garcia, was canonised in 1862 but most Indian Christians will consider Alphonsa the country’s first saint since Garcia had lived and worked in Japan.

Alphonsa’s name can now be invoked during prayers by Christians across the world and churches can be dedicated in her honour. A Delhi church has already been dedicated to her and the Centre has promised to issue a stamp in her honour. Her images can now be drawn and printed, her relics publicly honoured, Mass offered in her name and feast days celebrated in her memory.

POSTAL STAMP ON SAINT ALPHONSA

A postal stamp on Saint Alphonsa, India’s first woman saint, was released at a convention of the Syro Malabar Church here on Sunday, Nov 16th.

Chief Post Master General (Delhi) P.K. Gopinath released the Rs.15 stamp and handed it over to Supreme Court Judge Cyriac Joseph, a church official said. Bishops of different diocese in Kerala and Delhi, led by Thrissur Archbishop Andrews Thazhathu, attended the ceremony.

The central government has also decided to release a coin honouring Saint Alphonsa.

Saint Alphonsa was canonised Oct 12 by Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican. Alphonsa was born in Kudamaloor, a village near Kottayam, to Joseph and Mary Aug 19, 1910. Having lost her mother at a very young age, she was brought up by her maternal aunt and educated by an uncle who was a priest. She faced several health problems, which eventually claimed her life on July 28, 1946.

On Dec 2, 1953, Eugene-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Cardinal Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for her beatification and Alphonsa was declared a ‘Servant of God’. On July 9, 1985, she received the title Venerable Sister Alphonsa. She was beatified Feb 8, 1986, by Pope John II.

BIOGRAPHY OF SAINT ALPHONSA

Alphonsa Muttathupadathu (August 19, 1910 – July 28, 1946) 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. It was officially declared on October 12, 2008. 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.

Early life Born as Annakkutty 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 Anna. 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. 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 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. 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. The miracle attributed to her intercession and approved by Vatican for the canonization was the healing of club foot of an infant in 1999. 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. Sainthood On October 12, 2008, Pope Benedict will declare Blessed Alphonsa as the first woman saint of India.