Saturday, 9 February 2013

Saint Alphonsa birth centenary commemorative coin

Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu, or Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception:

 (*) From 19 August 1910 – 28 July 1946. She is now being regarded as a saint who was once a Syro-Malabar Catholic Franciscan Religious Sister. The Catholic Church has canonized her as a saint, and she is the first person of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by them, and she is also the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community.

 (*) In the year 1923, her feet were burnt when she fell into a pit of burning chaff; local people describe this as a self-inflicted injury as she wanted to become a Religious sister but her foster mom had arranged for a marriage. This accident left her permanently disabled for life.

 (*) She died at the age of 35, on 28th July 1946,  and was buried at St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, BharananganamTravancore, Kerala, India.

 (*)Sister Alphonsa then taught at St. Alphonsa Girl's High School, but was often sick and unable to teach.

 (*) Immediately upon her death, Claims of her miraculous intervention began , and mostly involved the children of the convent school where she used to teach. Hundreds of such claims have been recorded out of which 2 cases were submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as proof of her miraculous intervention. The continuing cures are chronicled in the magazine "PassionFlower"

 (*) To honour a Saint of Indian origin, RBI in the year 2009 released commemoration coin    
       which is shown below:










Year:
2009
Diameter & Weight:
23 mm & 6.00 Gm
Shape & Metal:
Circular & Nickel Brass
Mint Mark:
Star

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