Pope to canonise two from Kerala on November 23

www.mangaloretoday.com

Tthiruvananthapuram, Nov 23, 2014: In a proud moment for the Catholic community in India, Pope Francis will today / Sunday November 23, bestow sainthood on two beatified candidates from Kerala— Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia—during a special mass at the Vatican.

Their canonisation will raise the number of saints from the centuries-old Syro Malabar Church to three, the first being Sister Alphonso who got the status of sainthood in 2008.

A number of cardinals, nuns, clergymen and clergywomen have already left for the Vatican to witness the auspicious event at St Peter’s Square on Sunday. An official delegation from India led by P J Kurien, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, will also be attending.

 

In Catholicism, a person is conferred sainthood only after the completion of a long stage-by-stage process which used to often take centuries. Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara (1805-1871), founder of the Carmalites of Mary Immaculate, was more than a spiritual leader to the Syro Malabar community.  Sister Euphrasia was a spiritual person who chose to live in the confines of a convent in Thrissur helping people.

Kerala a ’Cradle of Saints’:
The canonization of two blessed souls from the state—Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia—is scheduled for this Sunday in the Vatican. But several are on the path to sainthood in Kerala.

Of the more than 30 pious men and women the Catholic Church in India has placed on the path of canonization, at least 28 are from Kerala, a feat that could well earn it the ‘Cradle of Saints’ epithet in the future. Catholics in Kerala comprise less than one per cent of the global Catholic population.

Out of 28 revered spiritual men and women, three each have acquired the status of the Blessed and the Venerable positions, while 21 are Servants of God, which is the first stage of canonization process. From Mangalore so far only one among the few who have a potential has been declared ’Servant of God’ - Msgr.Raymond F C Mascarenhas (1875-1960)  is the first Vicar of Bendur and the founder of the Bethany Sisters (BS), his tomb is now  in a special section of the Bendur church and  his museum like cottage is preserved near Bendur church and people are allowed to visit.

The other two Indians on the list with status of the Blessed are Mother Teresa and Fr Joseph Vaz, a missionary of Goan origin who served in Sri Lanka. There are only two laymen in the list. All others are bishops, priests, or nuns. The Kerala list includes Fr Zakharias, a Spanish missionary, and two German missionaries —Mother Petra Morningman and Br Fortnatus — who served, died and were buried here.