Blessed Alphonsa canonized by Pope Benedict, becomes India's first woman saint

In an address to tens of thousands of worshippers who congregated in St. Peter square at Vatican, the pope said Sr. Alphonsa was "an exceptional woman, who is offered to the people of India as their first canonized saint."

Recalling how, Sr. Alphonsa stepped on hot coals to burn and disfigure her feet to escape a forced arranged marriage and become a nun and dedicate her life to God, the pope said she "was convinced that her cross was the very means of reaching the heavenly banquet prepared for her by the Father."

Despite her feet being badly burnt and keeping ill for the rest of her life till she passed away in 1946 at the age of 36, the pope said Sr. Alphonsa remained faithful to God and he praised for her compassion and stoicism.

She had lived in "extreme physical and spiritual suffering", the pope said, adding, "May we imitate her in shouldering our own crosses so as to join her one day in paradise."

Sr. Alphonsa was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1986, 40 years after her death, in recognition of the numerous miracles associated with her. Her tomb has become a pilgrimage site and she has been credited with several miracles, particularly curing illness and disease.

She is the second saint from India to be canonized, after Gonsalo Garcia Portuguese parentage, who was canonized in 1862.

Mother Teresa, the Albanian-born nun who worked with the poor and destitute in India, was beatified in 2003 and is on the road to sainthood.

Other Indians also on the road to sainthood are Blessed Joseph Vaz of Goa, who worked in Sri Lanka, and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who was beatified along with Blessed Alphonsa.

Others who were canonized included the Ecuadorian Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran (1832-1869), Swiss nun Maria Bernarda Buetler (1848-1924), a missionary in Colombia and Italian Gaetano Errico (1791-1860) from Secondigliano, in the Naples region.

Sr. Alfonsa's canonization is significant for it comes at a time when India's Christian community, making up little more than two percent of the country's population, has felt particularly threatened in recent months.

For instance, in Kandhamal, Orissa, thousands of Christians are being ruthlessly being persecuted for holding onto their faith. Since August, over 50 Christians have been killed by Hindu fundamentalists who accuse them of murdering one of their religious leaders and forcefully converting innocent Hindu villagers, allegations which Christian groups vehemently deny.

On the other hand, Christian groups claim lower-caste Hindus who convert do so willingly to escape the highly stratified and oppressive Hindu caste system.

Christians have also been attacked and their houses and churches burnt in other states like Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

Sr. Alphonsa's canonization has been welcomed by the Roman Catholic community in India, which account for 70 percent of India's Christian minority. According to Labor Minister Oscar Fernandes, the canonization of Sr. Alphonsa has bestowed a great honor on the for the country, for she is the first Indian woman who has been granted sainthood at the Vatican. "People of Kerala are all proud of Sister Alphonsa," he said.

"It (canonization) is a very important event and a big recognition for a woman born in a simple, ordinary Indian family," said Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Orissa.

"At this time of suffering, it will help us and inspire us," the archbishop said.

"Sister is an inspiration for Indian people and her elevation as Saint has contributed to the pride of all the churches," said Father Cosmos of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the governing body of Indian Roman Catholics.

"The Indian Catholic church has received with immense pride and joy the news of the canonization of Blessed Alphonsa who was born and brought up in India and of India parents," said Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter Remigius, bishop of Kottar, Tamil Nadu. "She was indeed a role model for those doing good to others."

Agrees Rt. Rev. Dr. Mar George Alencherry, bishop of Thuckalay, Tamil Nadu. "This is indeed a rare gift God Almighty is presenting to the Indian Church. Let us heartily thank Him for this great gift," the bishop said.

"The most striking quality of her (Sr. Alphonsa) life is her love of God. She was determined to live for God from her childhood," he added.