Blessed Alphonsa’s life does not appear to be anything extraordinary or even remarkable. During her life she was just an ordinary nun who led an obscure and eventless life in the quiet cloister of the Clarist convent at Bharananganam, Kerala. Ill-health rendered her inactive and she remained bed-ridden for long intervals of time. She had no great achievements to her credit, nor was she a person of exceptional talents or of any high intellectual acquisitions. But she is venerated today as the jumble suffering handmaid of Jesus. Alphonsa was born on August 19, 1910 at Muttathupadath family of Kudamaloor, Kottayam in the Archdiocese of Changanacherry in Kerala. She lost her mother at an early age. She joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, Bharananganam, in 1927 and received religious habit on May 19, 1930. She took perpetual vows on August 12, 1936. Her life was full of suffering and sickness.

She got miraculous cure through the intercession of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara in December 1936. She fell ill with double pneumonia in June 1939 and was again seriously ill in 1940. She was administered the sacrament of the sick on September 29, 1941, but recovered. In July 1945, she started vomiting and died of that sickness on July 28, 1946. Diocesan Tribunal for the beatification of Sister Alphonsa was inaugurated on December 2, 1953. She was declared Venerable on July 9, 1985 and declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II on February 8, 1986 at Kottayam, Kerala. Her feast is celebrated on July 28.

Address:

Vice Postulator,
Cause of Blessed Alphonsa,
Bharananganam P.O. Kerala, India 656 578
Ph: 0482 – 2236244
Email: vicepostulator@alphonsa.org

Other Candidates For Canonization In India cd2005