Sister Alphonsa to ordained saint on October 12 2008
Sister Alphonsa or Alphosamma to be ordained as Saint Alphonsa on 12th October 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Sister Alphonsa will be the first Indian women saint for the 2000 year old Indian Christianity. Till now, there was only Mother Teresa’s name for the sainthood process. But, the name of Sister Alphonsa came up suddenly in March 2008. The Kerala nun had been in line for sainthood long before Mother Teresa died in 1997.
Sister Alphonsa was born on August 19, 1910 at Kudamaloor in Kottayam district. Anna, which was her baptismal name, lost her mother when she was very young. She showed an inclination for religious life as a child despite suffering from various illnesses.
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- Bharananganam Church
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- Sr. Alphonsa
She entered the convent in 1927 and died in 1946.
In 1953, the diocesan process for her canonisation started and the late Pope john Paul-II beatified her during his India visit in 1985. Earlier this year, Vatican announced the date for her elevation to sainthood giving final stamp of approval to a miracle attributed to her. [read more]
