Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception

Reserve bank of India Issued a 5 Rupees Commemorative Coin in 2009 marking the birth centenary of Alphonsa.

On Sunday, 12 October 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced her canonization at a ceremony at Saint Peter's Square. Indians from across the world, especially people from Kerala, gathered at the ceremony in Rome. Among them was a 10-year-old Kerala boy Jinil Joseph whose clubfoot – a birth defect – was, in the judgment of Vatican officials, miraculously healed after prayers to Alphonsa in 1999.

In 2008, Sibi Yogiaveedan directed a documentary video of Alphonsa, which known as "Vishudha (saint) Alphonsama- The passion flower". In this video the director tries to bring Alphonsa's childhood friends and relatives. Which made the documentary video more interesting because they are sharing the real life experience with Alphonsa. In addition, Alphonsa's character was played by Nikhila Vimal. The video was made in Malayalam language. For this reason, English subtitles have been included.

In the 1990s, a postal stamp commemorating Alphonsa was published by Kerala state's former minister, K Karunakaran.

Alphonsa was beatified along with Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Kottayam, on 8 February 1986 by Pope John Paul II during his apostolic pilgrimage to India.

In 1985, Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle attributed to her intercession and on 9 July she became "Venerable Sister Alphonsa".

Claims of her miraculous intervention began almost immediately upon her death and often involved the children of the convent school where she used to teach. On 2 December 1953, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for her beatification and Alphonsa was declared a Servant of God.

After a series of serious health problems, she died on 28 July 1946, at a young age of 35. She was buried at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bharananganam, Travancore (present day Kottayam district) in the Diocese of Palai. Her death news made her loved ones sad. Many people came to see Alphonsa's funeral.

Her health continued to deteriorate over a period of months. She received extreme unction on 29 September 1941. The next day it is believed that she regained her memory, though not complete health. Her health improved over the next few years, until in July 1945 she developed gastroenteritis and liver problems that caused violent convulsions and vomiting. During the last year of her life she came to know Sebastian Valopilly (later Bishop of Kerala) who frequently brought her communion. This bishop became famous in Kerala for championing the cause of poor people from all religious backgrounds who had come to live in Thalassery as a result of shortages elsewhere.

In December 1936, it is claimed that she was cured from her ailments through the intervention of the Kuriakose Elias Chavara (who was beatified at the same ceremony as she), but on 14 June 1939 she was struck by a severe attack of pneumonia which left her weakened. On 18 October 1940, a thief entered her room in the middle of the night. This traumatic event caused her to suffer amnesia and weakened her again.

The period 1930–1935 was characterised by grave illness. Alphonsa took her permanent vows on 12 August 1936. Two days later she returned to Bharananganam from Changanacherry. She then taught high school at St. Alphonsa Girl's High School, but was often sick and unable to teach. For most of her years as a Clarist sister she endured serious illness.

Anna arrived at the Clarist convent at Bharananganam, Kottayam district, on Pentecost Sunday 1927. She received the postulant's veil on 2 August 1928 and took the name Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception in honor of Alphonsus Liguori, whose feast day it was. In May 1929 Alphonsa was assigned to teach at Malayalam High School at Vazhappally. Her foster mother died in 1930. She resumed her studies at Changanacherry, while working as a temporary teacher at a school at Vakakkad. On 19 May 1930 Alphonsa entered the novitiate of the congregation at Bharananganam. On 11 August 1931 she completed the novitiate and took her first vows. And became a religious in the Catholic Church.

Anna sacrificed her material fortune and wanted to dedicate her life to Jesus Christ. In 1923, Anna's feet were burnt when she fell into a pit of burning chaff; local hagiographies describe this as a self-inflicted injury in order to avoid her foster mother's attempt to arrange a marriage for her and thereby to fulfill her desire for becoming a religious sister instead. This accident left her partially disabled for the rest of her life.

In 1916, Anna started school in Arpookara. She received her First Communion on 27 November 1917. When the first school cycle ended in 1920, the time had come to transfer to Muttuchira, to the house of her aunt Anna Murickan, to whom her mother had entrusted get, before she died. She was raised in the Murickan family, which was an age-old and prominent family in the area. As a child her grandmother would tell her stories of saints, teach prayers& Christian songs. As an adolescent Anna received many marriage proposals from reputed families. However, she had a feeling in her mind that she wants to be a bride of Christ and do good things for people. In these years, Thérèse of Lisieux appeared and told her that she will one day become a saint. There are many similarities in the lives of Anna and Thérèse, and she was Anna's all-time favorite patron saint and role model.

Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception or Saint Alphonsa, christened at birth as Anna Muttathupadathu (19 August 1910– 28 July 1946), was a nun and an educator by vocation (profession). She was also known for being a victim soul, visionary and prophetess in the Kottayam pergunna of the erstwhile Travancore province of British India, in the present-day Kerala, India. She is the first woman of Indian origin to be canonised as a saint after decades of enquiry by the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, she is also the first saint of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic community of Eastern Christianity.

Alphonsa was born as Annakutty Muttathupadathu in a Malankara Nasrani family to Joseph Muttathupadathil and Mary Puthukari in Kudamalloor, near Kottayam, on 19 August 1910. She was baptised on 27 August. Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, was born in Arpookara, a village in the princely state of Travancore, what would become Kerala state. The village lies within the Archeparchy of Changanassery.