43) Saint Alphonsa ; the first Catholic woman saint of India Honouring Prominent Saints of India (19.08.1910 to 28.07.1946)

Saint Alphonsa ; the first Catholic woman saint of India

Honouring Prominent Saints of India

(19.08.1910 to 28.07.1946)

 Alphonsa Muttathupadathu or “Alphonsamma” was born as “Annakkutty” (meaning “Little Ann” which is a popular christening name in Kerala) in Arpookara village (Kudamaloor) in Kottayam District (present day -Kerala, India), in the Archdiocese of Changanassery on 19^th August 1910. At the time of her birth, Kudamaloor was a part of the Travancore State.

She was baptized in St. Mary’s Church in Kudamaloor on 27^th August 1910. She lost her mother at a very early age and was raised by her maternal Aunt Annamma Muricken and educated by her Great uncle Father Joseph Muttathupadathu.

She had her early schooling in Arpookara and received her First Communion on 27^th November 1917. She studied in Muttuchira in 1918 and later, on in Changanacherry.

Her Grandmother told her stories about St.Theresa of Avila and St. Little Flower of Lisieux.  From her childhood, she was attracted to embracing penitential practices and wanted to pattern her life on the virtues of the Saints about whom she had heard so much from her Grandmother and Grand uncle.

She wanted to dedicate her entire life to Jesus Christ.  With this inspiration as her driving force, she joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation and associated herself with the Poor Clares Convent at Bharananganam, where she took on the name Alphonsa (or Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception) after the Saint of the day St. Alponsus Ligouri, when she received her Postulant’s veil in August 1928. She received her religious habit on 19^th May 1930.  She became a novitiate in August 1931 and on 12^th August 1936, she took her permanent vows. She spent the next 20 years of her life at the Convent. She, also, taught in an Elementary School for a year in Vakakkad.

Poor Health:

She was dogged with poor health and several illnesses throughout her short life of 35 years. When she was 3 years old, she suffered from eczema for some time.  In 1923, at the age of 13, she fell into a pit of burning chaff, which burnt her feet disabling her permanently. Even during her teaching assignment, she was sick quite often, and endured sickness several times, which left her very weak and debilitated. 

In December 1936, she is said to have been cured through the intervention of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, but again she suffered a bout of double pneumonia and later from amnesia. 

She was known as a person who loved and invited loving suffering. She believed that she must endure all experiences which test her will and offered them to God. Despite her sufferings and ill-health, she was said to have been cheerful and with a positive disposition throughout her life.

 Beatification, Canonization and Sainthood:

She passed away on 28.07.1946 at the age of 35 about a month before her 36th birthday. Her tomb is situated in Bharananganam in the Diocese of Palai, in St. Mary’s Church .It is said that after her funeral, when school children went to her tomb to put flowers and lighting candles on her grave, they found their favours received. Soon many persons started reporting miracles at her intercession.

The 1000 year old St. Mary’s Church is one of the famous pilgrimage centres in Kerala. The mortal remains of the Saint are preserved in the Mortuary chapel next to the Church.

Because of its association with St.Alphonsa, Bharananganam is also known as “Lisieux of India” after the birth-place of St. Theresa of Lisieux in France.  St Alphonsa is also called the “Passion Flower of Bharanangalam”.

Alphonsa belonged to the Syro-Malabar church, of the Thomas Christian tradition, which is known for its inter-religious, multi-cultural and socio-political interactions.

A miracle attributed to her intercession was reported   to the Vatican  through due process, by Bishop Sebastian Valopilly (then a priest) who claimed that, in 1985 ,a Muslim boy with clubbed feet was cured when, the Priest gave him Alphonsa’s picture and asked him to pray to her.

The Diocesan process of her Beatification was inaugurated on 02.12.1953 and on 09.07.1985 the miracle of healing the Muslim boy’s clubbed feet, which was attributed to her intercession was formally approved by Pope John Paul II and she was declared a Servant of God and was called “Venerable Sister Alphonsa”. She was beatified along with Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Kottayam when the Pope visited Kottayam on 8th February 1986. Several other miracles have been reported through her intercession by praying to her or at her tomb which has been converted into a chapel.

The miracle attributed to her canonization was the healing of the club foot of an infant by her intercession and she was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict on 12^th October 2008 and given the title of Blessed Alphonsa. 

She was the first Catholic nun to be made a saint from India and the second one from India, after Saint Gonsalo Garcia born in Vasai near Bombay (present day Mumbai) to an Indian mother and a Portuguese father in 1556, was declared a Saint in the 19^th century, by the Catholic Church. 

She is also, the first canonized Saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian Community. 

Her patronage is against illnesses, against the death of parents and sick persons. Her Feast is celebrated from 19^th to 28th July every year.

As a symbol of recognition of the first Indian woman Saint, a delegation of 12 dignitaries was sent by the Government of India to participate in her Canonization ceremony in Rome apart from her family members.

Literature on St. Alphonsa:

Several books and publications were written on her life and miracles. Some of them are “Saint Alphonsa”, “ Alphonsamma: Agnisnanathinte Vishudha Sakshyam” , “ The spirituality of Blessed Alphonsa”, “A Grain of wheat”,  “The Wisdom of the saints”  among others.

Commemoration:

In November 2008, the Posts & Telegraphs Department brought out a five rupee commemorative postal stamp commemorating the first woman saint of India.

The Centenary year celebrations were formally inaugurated on 23^rd August 2009 by the Finance Minister and the Reserve Bank of India brought out  Commemorative coins of Rs.100/- and circulation coins of Rs. 5/- (nickel-brass) on the occasion.

The obverse of this nickel brass coin has the Lion Capital in the centre together with the words “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth always Prevails) which together form the emblem/Coat of Arms of India. The numeral “5” denoting the denomination of the coin is below the emblem. On the left periphery are the words “Bharat” and “Rupiye” in Hindi and on the right periphery are the words “India” and “Rupees” in English.

On the reverse of the coin is a portrait/image of Saint Alphonsa with her name spelt out both in Hindi and English. An image of a rose is placed below her portrait. The years “1910 – 2009” are mentioned below the rose, indicating the centenary of her birth. This coin was minted at Kolkata mint. Notice that there is no mint mark below the centenary years.

Posted on 18.03.2018:

We visited Kottayam in the Indian State of Kerala in February 2018. We came across the following images of the first two Indian Catholic saints in the Christ King Cathedral:

The Foundation Stone of Christ King Cathedral in Kottayam

A painting of Saint Gonsalo Garcia,who was born in 1556 and declared a Saint in the 19th Century by the Catholic Church

An image of St. Alphonsa, who was declared a Saint on 12.10.2008








Links to other articles on coins issued on Prominent saints and temples of India: 

1) 25 Years of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board

2) Lord Mahavir: 24th Teerthankar of Jainism

3) Sant Thiruvalluvar

4) Celebrating 1000 years of Brihadeeshwarar Temple

5) Mother Teresa  

6) Jagathguru Sree Narayana Gurudev

7) Mahatma Basaveshwara

8)   Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram

9) Swami Chinmayananda : Celebrating his Birth Centenary: A Rs.10/- coin issued by the Hyderabad Mint 

10) Commemorating the Birth Centenary of Acharya Tulsi of Jainism by issuing a Rs.20/- coin 


Other interesting posts on Christian Saints, Churches, priests and the Pope: 1) The inspiring story of Saint Teresa :

2) Saint Alphonsa: The first Catholic Woman Saint of India 

3) Pope Francis: 80th Birthday on 17.12.2016: 6 Commemorative coins issued by Cook Islands 

4) Christ Church Fort Teppakulam, Trichirapalli 

5) St. Joan of Arc: The patron Saint of France 

6) Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregarious Centenary Celebrations

7) Bicentenary of the Old Seminary in Kottayam