#memory
St Alphonsa of Bharanganam.
28 July is the memorial day of St Alphonsa, the first woman saint from India and the first saint of the Syro Malabar Church.
Born in the Muttathupadathu family of Kudamaloor, Kottayam district, Kerala, little Annakutty lost her mother. The baby was brought to the Murikkan house Muttuchira by her mother’s sister Annamma. Annakutty grew up in the Murikkan tharavadu and showed her inclination for a religious life from the beginning.
She joined the Carmelite Congregation but used to fall ill very often. She recovered to receive her final religious orders and took the name of Sister Alphonsa. She briefly taught in a school before illness forced her to be confined to the convent. Her last year’s on earth were full of pain in the Carmelite Convent in Bharanganam silently bearing every pain with faith. She spent her hours in prayer.
Even her superiors knew little about her intense piety. There was only a meager gathering at her funeral. However as was the custom those days, a funeral photo was taken.
The only person who recognised her as a person close to God was her confessor, Fr Romulus, a friar of the CMI congregation. In his funeral message, he told the few people present: ” A day will come when Bishops and even Cardinals will come to Bharanganam to pray at her tomb.
His words proved prophetic. It was Pope John Paul II who declared her “Blessed ” during his visit to India, at Kottayam in 1986.
In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI declared her a Saint of the Catholic Church.
It was school children who started to pray at her tomb immediately after her death, but the pilgrims became a torrent in the following years.
St Alphonsa is revered by the people, regardless of caste, creed or religion as evident by the thousands of pilgrims flocking to Bharanganam throughout the year from all parts of the world.
I am fortunate to know about Sr Alphonsa from my childhood, since my aunt Annamma Thomas, daughter of Alphonsa’s first cousin Murikkan Pailo Luka, grew up together with the Saint in the Murikkan tharavadu.
One unforgettable memory of our visit to Annamma Elemma in the hospital. She told a fully pregnant Sasikala that our first born will be a girl and she will be born around the feast day of Sr Alphonsa. Our daughter Nileena was born on 29 July.
I am blessed to have been present at Kottayam where the Pope declared her Blessed along with my parents and doubly blessed to see in person two future Saints, Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul.
We never miss a chance to pray at the tomb of St Alphonsa whenever we pass through Bharanganam.
