Alphonsa Muttathupadathu
1910-1946 20th century Feast day: July 28
Suffering offered in silence, without bitterness or display.
Who was Alphonsa Muttathupadathu?
The first Indian woman to be canonized, this Poor Clare of Kerala lived a short and hidden life, marked by almost constant illness. A teacher when her strength allowed, she spent her final years bedridden, offering her suffering without display. Her tomb at Bharananganam has become a place of pilgrimage for Christians and non-Christians alike.
In their own words
I consider a day in which I have not suffered as a day lost to me.
Already from the age of seven I was no longer mine; I was totally dedicated to my Divine Spouse.
I have given myself up completely to Jesus; let Him please Himself in His dealings with me.