www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology July 28: St. Alphonsa: India's 1st. canonised saint

Today is the liturgical commemoration of St. Alphonsa, a recently canonised Syro-Malabar religious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Alphonsa

http://www.alphonsa.net

http://www.alphonsa.com/

May her prayers help us to make progress in the practice of virtue and contribute to the evangelisation of India.

I think the Indian Orthodox Church has many saints...

Yes they do.

Not many women though

As well they should. But I don't know anything about them...

The Saint Thomas Christians have been in India for approximately two thousand years. Surely in all that time there have been Saints.

Fr. Serge

Who are some of them?

Aren't Barlaam and Joasaph saints from India?

Yes, they are.

In follow-up to the earlier comments and questions, I think the point was that Sister St Alphonsa is the first to be formally canonized (through the curial process), as well as the first Saint of her Church since it formally entered communion with Rome. But, those are merely guesses on my part.

Many years,

Neil

Here's a short list of venerated Indian Christians of the Apostolic Churches https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Category:Indian_Christian_saints (Interestingly, check out St. Habel and his community, which is looking forward to entering under the Anglican Ordinariate provisions [http://www.anglicanchurchofindia.com/church.php])

Anchal Achan
Thomas the Apostle

Barlaam and Josaphat

Gonsalo Garcia
Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril
Gheevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala

Habel of Kaipetta* (Anglican Church of India)

Saint Alphonsa

There are dozens, if not hundreds of others who are venerated as "blesseds" by Roman and Malabar Catholics, as well as those who are treated as such by Malankara Orthodox and Catholics. There are also Middle Easterners who died in India and have shrines erected, such as the Saintly Maphriyono Eldho Mar Baselios, whose tomb is interred in South India.

There is also Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, OIC, recently declared as Venerable.