Alphonsa is first Indian woman Catholic saint

“She suffered herself to heal the suffering of others.” This is how Pope Benedict XVI poignantly described Kerala’s Sister Alphonsa while declaring her a saint at a canonisation ceremony at St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sunday. Saint Alphonsa became the first Indian Catholic woman to be so anointed.

Around 25,000 people of Indian origin as well as a large delegation from India watched the ceremony, which began at 12 noon (India time) and culminated at 2.40 pm. Alphonsa is the first woman saint of the Indian Church, which claims 2,000 years of history.

[In a speech after the ceremony, the Pope also made sharp references to the antiChristian violence in India and asked its perpetrators to “renounce these acts” and work to build a “civilisation of love”, reports PTI.]

Sister Alphonsa’s “heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of deep suffering remind us that God always provides the strength we need to overcome every trial,” the Pope said, addressing thousands of Christians from around the world.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit:
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCH/2008/10/13/index.shtml