Joy to the World

It will be a moment of joy, celebration and pride for the entire nation as sister Alphonsa gets canonised on October 12. With this, she would be the first woman from India to be declared a saint by his Holiness Benedict XVI in Rome.

It will be a moment of joy, celebration and pride for the entire nation as sister Alphonsa gets canonised on October 12. With this, she would be the first woman from India to be declared a saint by his Holiness Benedict XVI in Rome.

On this occasion, the Blessed Alphonsa church in Kalewadi, Pune will be renamed as Saint Alphonsa church. According to father Benny T, parish priest, Alphonsa church, 8220;This is a historic moment and we are proud that we are a part of it. We have got the remains of sister Alphonsa from Kerala and it has been instituted here by the bishop of Kalyan.8221;

Sister Alphonsa was born on August 19, 1910 in a poor family. Though she taught in a school for a short period, sister Alphonsa had to give up her job due to illness. She spent most of her life in the sick room of the convent and she became known as the suffering servant . The title was more of a tribute to her for the way she accepted all the sufferings in her life, saying that it was a gift for her from her loving Lord. She was buried in Bharananganam, Kerala on July 28, 1946. She was declared blessed on February 8, 1986 by his holiness John Paul on his visit to Kerala.

According to George Velloor, trusty, Alphonsa church, 8220;The canonisation that will take place in Rome at 10 am in the morning will include holy mass presided over by the Pope and supported by hierarchy of priests from Kerala. Over 3000 devotees from Kerala are expected to attend the canonisation ceremony.8221;

8220;One of the basic prerequisites for declaring a person saint is that after his or her death, some miracle has to take place in his or her name. This miracle, mostly related to healing needs to be reported and certified by the doctors as a phenomenon beyond the capabilities of medical science. Other than this, the person has to have led a good, clean life,8221; adds C P Varkey, committee member, Alphonsa church.

Such a miracle took place in case of sister Alphonsa not once but twice. 8220;In the year 1947, a person named Kunju was born in Kerala with a twisted leg. He prayed to sister Alphonsa and was miraculously cured. This was the incident that got sister Alphonsa declared as blessed. A similar phenomenon was repeated in 1999 when Jinil, a small boy in Kerala, born with two twisted legs was cured by praying to her. This miracle played a crucial role in making her a saint,8221; adds father Benny.

The declaration has sent a wave of happiness amongst the Keralite Catholics. The Alphonsa church will be celebrating the event for two days. 8220;Various events like social activities and blood donation camps have been organised. We will also be sponsoring one-day meals for five old age homes in the city. The event will also include flag hoisting and a feast,8221; says father Benny.