Saint Alphonsa - wikipedia Saint Alphonsa For the 1952 film, see Alphonsa ( film ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2014 ) Saint Alphonsa ( 1910 - 08 - 19 ) 19 August 1910 28 July 1946 ( 1946 - 07 - 28 ) ( aged 35 ) Venerated in Catholic Church Beatified 8 February 1986 Canonized 12 October 2008, Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI Major shrine St. Mary 's Syro - Malabar Church, Bharananganam, Kerala, India Feast 28 July ( Syro - Malabar ) Attributes Catholic saint Patronage Against illness, diseases related to feet, Cherupusha Mission League, India Part of a series on Saint Thomas Christians History Saint Thomas Thomas of Cana Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Tharisapalli plates Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath Religion Crosses Denominations Churches Syriac language Music Prominent persons Abraham Malpan Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Kayamkulam Philipose Ramban Kuriakose Elias Chavara Mar Thoma I Saint Alphonsa Sadhu Kochoonju Upadesi Kariattil Mar Ousep Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala Geevarghese Ivanios Saint Alphonsa Euphrasia Eluvathingal Thoma of Villarvattom Culture Margamkali Parichamuttukali Cuisine Suriyani Malayalam Part of a series on Christian mysticism Theology Philosophy Apophatic Ascetical Cataphatic Catholic spirituality Hellenistic Mystical theology Neoplatonic Henosis Practices Monasticism Monasticism Asceticism Spiritual direction Meditation Meditation Lectio Divina Active ascetism Contemplation Hesychasm Jesus prayer Quietism Stages of Christian perfection Divinization Catharsis Theosis Kenosis Spiritual dryness Passive ascetism Abstinence People ( by era or century ) Antiquity Ancient African Origen Gregory of Nyssa Pseudo-Dionysius Desert Fathers Paul of Thebes Anthony the Great Arsenius the Great Poemen Macarius of Egypt Moses the Black Syncletica Athanasius John Chrysostom Hilarion John Cassian 11th 12th Bernard of Clairvaux Guigo II Hildegard of Bingen Hadewijch Symeon the New Theologian 13th 14th Dominican Dominic de Guzmán Franciscan Francis of Assisi Anthony of Padua Bonaventure Jacopone da Todi Angela of Foligno English Richard Rolle Walter Hilton Julian of Norwich Margery Kempe Flemish Beatrice of Nazareth John of Ruysbroeck German Meister Eckhart Johannes Tauler Henry Suso Female Beatrice of Nazareth Bridget of Sweden Catherine of Siena 15th 16th Spanish Ignatius of Loyola Francisco de Osuna John of Ávila Teresa of Ávila John of the Cross Others Catherine of Genoa 17th 18th French Pierre de Bérulle Jean - Jacques Olier Louis de Montfort Charles de Condren John Eudes John of St. Samson Others María de Ágreda Anne Catherine Emmerich Veronica Giuliani Francis de Sales 19th Dina Bélanger Catherine Labouré Mélanie Calvat Maximin Giraud Bernadette Soubirous Conchita de Armida Luisa Piccarreta Mary of the Divine Heart Thérèse of Lisieux Gemma Galgani 20th Padre Pio Therese Neumann Marthe Robin Adrienne von Speyr Alexandrina of Balazar Faustina Kowalska Berthe Petit Sister Lúcia of Fátima Edgar Cayce Simone Weil Alfred Delp Thomas Merton Charles de Foucauld Contemporary papal views Aspects of meditation ( Orationis Formas, 1989 ) Reflection on the New Age ( 2003 ) Literature Media Lingua Ignota Ordo Virtutum Scivias Ascent of Mount Carmel Dark Night of the Soul Spiritual Canticle Way of Perfection Book of the First Monks The Interior Castle Abbey of the Holy Ghost A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation Diary : Divine Mercy in My Soul From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart The Glories of Mary The Imitation of Christ The Ladder of Divine Ascent Philokalia Revelations of Divine Love Spiritual Canticle The Story of a Soul Theologia Germanica Devotio Moderna The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima Sol de Fátima The Cloud of Unknowing The Consolation of Philosophy The Mirror of Simple Souls Sister Catherine Treatise Tractatus de Purgatorio Sancti Patricii The Vision of Adamnán Divine Comedy Inferno Purgatorio Paradiso Part of a series on Christianity in India Background Saint Thomas Christians ( Nasrani ) Saint Thomas Christian churches Saint Thomas Christian crosses Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath Malankara ( historical ) People Saint Thomas the Apostle Saint Alphonsa Saint Francis Xavier Saint Gonsalo Garcia Saint Euphrasia Eluvathingal Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Saint Mother Teresa Bl. Devasahayam Pillai Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Mar Baselios Eldho Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Thomas of Cana Ignatius Elias III Mar Gregorios of Parumala Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan Mar Geevarghese Dionysius Abraham Malpan Palackal Thoma Malpan Mar Augustine Kandathil William Carey Denominations Catholic Catholic Church in India ; Syro - Malabar Catholic Syro - Malankara Catholic Oriental Orthodox Brahmavar Orthodox Church Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Church of the East Chaldean Syrian Malankara Church Reformed Mar Thoma Syrian Malabar Independent Syrian Church Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Assemblies Jehovah Shammah Christian Revival Church Church of North India Church of South India Garo Baptist Indian Brethren Indian Pentecostal Church of God Church of God ( Full Gospel ) North Bank Baptist Christian Northern Evangelical Lutheran Presbyterian The Pentecostal Mission St. Thomas Evangelical Seventh - day Adventist True Jesus United Evangelical Lutheran Indian Christianity portal Saint Alphonsa, F.C.C., ( born Anna Muttathupadathu ; 19 August 1910 -- 28 July 1946 ) was an Indian religious sister and educator. She was the first woman of Indian origin to be canonised as a saint by the Catholic Church, and the first canonised saint of the Syro - Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church based in India. Her feast day is observed on July 28th. Contents 1 Life 1.1 Early life 1.2 Sister Alphonsa 1.3 Health decline 2 Death 3 Veneration 3.1 Beatification 3.2 Miracles 3.3 Canonization 3.4 Shrine 3.5 Feast 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Life Early life St Alphonsa was born as Anna Muttathupadathu in a Syro - Malabar Nasrani family to Cherian Ouseph and Mary Muttathupadathu in Kudamalloor, near Kottayam, on 19 August 1910. She was baptised on 27 August. Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, was born in Arpookara, a village in the princely state of Travancore within Kerala, India. This lies within the Archdiocese of Changanassery. Her parents nicknamed her Annakkutty ( little Anna ). She had a difficult childhood and experienced loss and suffering early on in life. Anna 's mother died when she was young, so her maternal aunt raised her. Hagiographies describe her early life as one of suffering at the hands of her stern foster mother and the teasing of schoolchildren. Anna was educated by her great - uncle, Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. When Anna was three - years - old, she contracted eczema and suffered for over a year. In 1916 Anna started school in Arpookara. She received her First Communion on 27 November 1917. In 1918 she was transferred to a school in Muttuchira. Anna was from a rich family and because of that she received many marriage proposals from reputed families. Her foster mother wanted her to become a perfect housewife in a rich household. However, Anna sacrificed all this material fortune and wanted to dedicate her life to Jesus Christ. In 1923, Anna 's feet were burnt when she fell into a pit of burning chaff ; local hagiographies describe this as a self - inflicted injury in order to avoid her foster mother 's attempt to arrange a marriage for her and thereby to fulfill her desire for becoming a Religious Sister instead. This accident left her permanently partially disabled. Sister Alphonsa When it became possible, Anna joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, a religious congregation of the Third Order of St. Francis, and through them, completed her schooling. Anna arrived at the Clarist convent at Bharananganam, Kottayam district, on Pentecost Sunday 1927. She received the postulant 's veil on 2 August 1928 and took the name Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception in honour of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, whose feast day it was. In May 1929 Sister Alphonsa was assigned to teach at Malayalam High School at Vazhappally. Her foster mother died in 1930. She resumed her studies at Changanacherry, while working as a temporary teacher at a school at Vakakkad. On 19 May 1930 Alphonsa entered the novitiate of the congregation at Bharananganam. On 11 August 1931 she completed the novitiate and took her first vows. Health decline The period 1930 -- 1935 was characterised by grave illness. Sister Alphonsa took her permanent vows on 12 August 1936. Two days later she returned to Bharananganam from Changanacherry. She then taught high school at St. Alphonsa Girl 's High School, but was often sick and unable to teach. For most of her years as a Clarist Sister she endured serious illness. In December 1936, it is claimed that she was cured from her ailments through the intervention of the Kuriakose Elias Chavara ( who was beatified at the same ceremony as she ), but on 14 June 1939 she was struck by a severe attack of pneumonia which left her weakened. On 18 October 1940, a thief entered 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 29 September 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 gastroenteritis and liver problems that caused violent convulsions and vomiting. During the last year of her life she came to know Father Sebastian Valopilly ( later Bishop of Kerala ) who frequently brought her communion. This bishop became famous in Kerala for championing the cause of poor people from all religious backgrounds who had come to live in Thalassery as a result of shortages elsewhere. Death After a series of serious health problems, she died on 28 July 1946, at a young age of 35. She was buried at St. Mary 's Catholic Church, Bharananganam, Travancore ( present day ( Kottayam ) in the Diocese of Palai. Veneration Claims of her miraculous intervention began almost immediately upon her death and often involved the children of the convent school where she used to teach. On 2 December 1953, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for her beatification and Alphonsa was declared a Servant of God. In 1985, Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle attributed to her intercession and on 9 July she became `` Venerable Sister Alphonsa ''. Beatification Venerable Sister Alphonsa was beatified along with Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara, T.O.C.D., at Kottayam, on 8 February 1986 by Pope John Paul II during his Apostolic Pilgrimage to India. During his speech at Nehru Stadium, the Pope said : From early in her life, Sister Alphonsa experienced great suffering. With the passing of the years, the heavenly Father gave her an ever fuller share in the Passion of his beloved Son. We recall how she experienced not only physical pain of great intensity, but also the spiritual suffering of being misunderstood and misjudged by others. But she constantly accepted all her sufferings with serenity and trust in God.... She wrote to her spiritual director : `` Dear Father, as my good Lord Jesus loves me so very much, I sincerely desire to remain on this sick bed and suffer not only this, but anything else besides, even to the end of the world. I feel now that God has intended my life to be an oblation, a sacrifice of suffering '' ( 20 November 1944 ). She came to love suffering because she loved the suffering Christ. She learned to love the Cross through her love of the crucified Lord. Miracles Hundreds of miraculous cures are claimed from her intervention, many of them involving straightening of clubbed feet, possibly because of her having lived with deformed feet herself. Two of these cases 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. Bishop Sebastian reported : About ten years ago, when I was in a small village in Wayanad outside Manatavady, I saw a boy walking with some difficulty, using a stick. As he approached me I noted that both of his feet were turned upside down. I had a stack of holy cards in my pocket with Alphonsa 's picture on them, so I pulled one of them out and gave it to the boy. When I told the boy that he should pray to this woman for the cure of his feet, the boy -- he was quite smart for a ten - year - old boy -- replied : `` But I 'm a Muslim, and, besides, I was born this way. '' I replied that God is very powerful, so let 's pray. A few months later, a boy and a gentleman appeared at the house here. I did n't recognize them at first but soon learned that it was the Muslim boy with his father, here to tell me that his feet had been cured through their prayers to Sister Alphonsa. They showed me the calluses on the tops of his feet, and you could see the marks which had been made from the years of his walking with his feet turned under. Before they left, the three of us had our pictures taken. The boy had reportedly taken Alphonsa 's picture card and asked Alphonsa to help fix his feet. Several days afterwards one of his feet supposedly turned around. He and the other members of his family then prayed for the cure of the second foot, which also supposedly turned around later. Canonization Birth centenary Commemorative coin released by the Reserve Bank of India On Sunday, 12 October 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced her canonization at a ceremony at Saint Peter 's Square. Indians from across the world, especially people from Kerala, gathered at the ceremony in Rome. Among them was a 10 - year - old Kerala boy Jinil Joseph whose clubfoot -- a birth defect -- was, in the judgment of Vatican officials, miraculously healed after prayers to Alphonsa in 1999. The final ceremony for the canonization began with the holy relics of Alphonsa being presented to the Pope by Sister Celia, Mother General of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, the congregation to which Sister Alphonsa belonged. Sister Celia was accompanied by Vice Postulator Father Francis Vadakkel and former Kerala minister K.M. Mani, all holding lit candles. Speaking in English, the Pope declared Sister Alphonsa a saint, after reading excerpts from the Bible. The Pope himself read out the biography of Alphonsa after the ceremony. In the homily, Pope Benedict XVI recalled Saint Alphonsa 's life as one of `` extreme physical and spiritual suffering ''. This exceptional woman... was convinced that her cross was the very means of reaching the heavenly banquet prepared for her by the Father,,,, By accepting the invitation to the wedding feast, and by adorning herself with the garment of God 's grace through prayer and penance, she conformed her life to Christ 's and now delights in the `` rich fare and choice wines '' of the heavenly kingdom. `` ( Her ) heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of deep suffering remind us that God always provides the strength we need to overcome every trial, '' the pope stated before the ceremony ended. The canonization was greeted with the bursting of firecrackers and the toll of church bells. St Mary 's Forane church at Kudmaloor, her home parish, also celebrated a special Mass. The grave at St Mary 's Forane Church in Bharananganam where the Franciscan Clarist Sister was buried had a chapel built there, which houses her mortal remains. Reserve bank of India Issued a 5 Rupees Commemorative Coin in 2009 marking the birth centenary of Saint Alphonsa. Tomb of Saint Alphonsa Shrine Her tomb at St. Mary 's Syro - Malabar Catholic Church, Bharananganam, has become a pilgrimage site as miracles have been reported by some of the faithful. Feast Thousands of people converge on the small town of Bharananganam when they celebrate the feast of Saint Alphonsa from 19 to 28 July each year ; her tomb has been designated as a pilgrimage site with numerous miracles being reported by pious devotees. See also Catholicism portal Kuriakose Elias Chavara Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Saint Thomas Christians Cyril Bernard Papali Catholic Bishops Conference of India Roman Catholicism in India References ^ Jump up to : `` Hacked by HEx Team Blackleets ''. stalphonsachurch.in. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 08. ^ Jump up to : Corinne G. Dempsey. Lessons in Miracles from Kerala, South India : Stories of Three `` Christian '' Saints. History of Religions, Vol. 39, No. 2, Christianity in India ( Nov., 1999 ), pp. 150 - 176 ^ Jump up to : `` Patron Saints Index ''. SQPN. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Beatification of Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Alfonsa Muttathupandathu ''. Vatican. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 08. ^ Jump up to : `` Saint Alphonsa : : History ''. www.syromalabarchurch.in. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception ( 1910 - 1946 ) '', Vatican News service Jump up ^ `` St. Alphonsa '', Kerala Catholic Times ^ Jump up to : `` St. Alphonsa '', St. Alphonsa Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Los Angeles, California Jump up ^ `` Beatification speech of Pope John Paul II ''. Alphonsa site. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 08. Jump up ^ Indian Catholics cheer their first woman saint Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Catholic Church celebrates Alphonsa 's canonisation ''. Chennai, India : The Hindu. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 08. Jump up ^ 5 Rupees Commemorative Coin of Saint Alphonsa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08qn1timKLI ^ Jump up to : `` Sister Alphonsa 's canonisation date to be decided on March 1 ''. Chennai, India : The Hindu. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 08. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Alphonsa. Official website St. Alphonsa Anna Muttathupadam of the Immaculate Conception, F.C.C. Pope John Paul II On Blessed Alphonsa of India 100 Maxims of the saint VIAF : 128587396 LCCN : n88228272 ISNI : 0000 0001 0775 3441 GND : 124110940 BNF : cb13751474q ( data ) Christianity in Kerala Denominations Assemblies of God in India Chaldean Syrian Church Church of God ( Full Gospel ) in India Church of South India Indian Pentecostal Church Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church Kerala Brethren Latin Catholic Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Salvation Army St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India Syro - Malabar Catholic Church Syro - Malankara Catholic Church The Pentecostal Mission Religious organisations Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor Jerusalem Retreat Center Kerala Catholic Bishops ' Council Parumala Seminary Potta Ashram Thrikkunnathu Seminary Related articles All India Catholic Union Angamaly police firing Benjamin Bailey ( missionary ) Bible translations into Malayalam Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Christianity in India Congregation of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Hermann Gundert Malankara - Persia Relation Maramon Convention Pentecostalism in Kerala Saint Thomas Christians Sister Abhaya murder case Sisters of the Destitute Synod of Diamper Syrian churches of Kerala Syrian Malabar Nasrani Varthamanappusthakam Templates Portal WikiProject Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saint_Alphonsa&oldid=818926180 '' Categories : Syro - Malabar Catholics Third Order Regular Franciscans Franciscan saints Eastern Catholic religious sisters and nuns 1910 births 1946 deaths Christian clergy from Kottayam 20th - century Christian saints Franciscan mystics Syro - Malabar saints Eastern Catholic saints Christian female saints of the Late Modern era Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Christianity in Kerala Canonizations by Pope Benedict XVI Malayali people 20th - century Indian women Indian nuns Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II Women from Kerala Indian Christian saints Scholars from Kerala Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use dmy dates from March 2014 Articles needing additional references from February 2014 All articles needing additional references Articles containing Latin - language text Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Deutsch Español Français गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ಕನ್ನಡ Kiswahili Lietuvių മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands Polski Português Русский Ślůnski Tagalog தமிழ் Edit links This page was last edited on 6 January 2018, at 12 : 07. 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Question: who is the first indian woman to be canonized as a saint
Answer: Saint Alphonsa, F.C.C., (born Anna Muttathupadathu; 19 August 1910 – 28 July 1946); Saint Alphonsa; Saint Alphonsa; Saint Alphonsa, F.C.C., (born Anna Muttathupadathu; Saint Alphonsa