ST. EUPHRASIA: HER SAINTHOOD JOURNEY
Introduction
Right from the
beginning till today the Church upholds her holiness in the world through the
holy life of her children. ‘Golden jubilee bell’ has already rung for the
Council of Second Vatican’s astonishing contribution: “In the Church all are
called to holiness” (cf. LG, 42). The council fathers did not hesitate
to add in the very next chapter of the Constitution Lumen Gentium that to
preserve the holiness of the Church is the prime duty of religious men and
women. They are placed at the forefront in the pilgrim journey of the Church
aiming heavenly Jerusalem
to show forth the way. Last more than two thousand years of her life, how many
saints were born to this Mother, the Church both canonized and non canonized! Into her list of canonized saints 6 more numbers
are to be added on 23rd of November 2014. The Indian sub continent
is very happy since two among them hail from her soil: Bl. Kuriakose Elias
Chavara, the founder of two Indigenous religious Congregations (CMI & CMC)
and Bl. Euphrasia Elavuthingal, the member of CMC. Before analyzing the process
of Euphrasia’s journey to sainthood, a glance on CMC is apt here.
Life Sketch of CMC
The Congregation
of Mother of Carmel (CMC) owes her origin to the Triune God, Father, Son and
the Spirit through the instrumentality of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the
founder and first member of the Third Order of Discalced Carmelites for Men
(TOCD) and Rev. Leopold Beccaro OCD an Italian Carmelite Missionary. Under the
name Third Order of Discalced Carmelites for Women, they founded this
Congregation at Koonammavu, in the then Vicariate of Verapoly on 13th
February 1866. Servant of God Vakayil Eliswa, Vyppissery Thresia, Vakayil Anna
and Puthenangady Eliswa were the first 4 members among whom first three were
from the Latin Rite and the last hailed from the Syro Malabar Rite. The Charism
of the Congregation is
the personal sanctity and redemptive uplift of the people of God, especially
women and children, through the right blending of contemplation and action.
Two separate
Vicariates were formed for the Syrians in 1887. Followed by that in 1890, the
convent at Koonammavu was entrusted to the Vicariate of Thrissure and the Latin
sisters were transferred to Verapoly. Thus the first indigenous religious
congregation (Women TOCD) was separated into two Congregations CMC and CTC as
they are known today.
After the
division, the growth of CMC was under the leadership of Apostolic Vicars of
each diocese. They took the initiative for the spiritual and material growth of
the sisters as well as the apostolic activities. Thus, the Congregation lived
as separate entities in each eparchy. The unification of these separate units
was taken place under the able leadership of Msgr. Hippolitus Kunnunkal. Then
onwards the Congregation is known under the new name, CMC. In 1967 CMC was
elevated to the pontifical status. She attained a tremendous growth in
spiritual, material and mission fields, then onwards.
At present CMC
is having 6300 sisters in 20 provinces and 6 regions. They serve the world
through the Church in Continents of Asia, Africa, America
and Europe. CMC has opened widely her eyes to
read the signs of the time and to venture new ways and means not only in the
fields of apostolate but also in the material and psycho -spiritual well being
of her members.
Today CMC
rejoices along with all people of good will as her founder Father Kuriakose Elias
Chavara and one of her members Euphrasia Elavuthingal are elevated to Sainthood
for the greater glory of God.
The saintly life
of Sr. Euphrasia Eluvatingal
Sr. Euphrasia
was born on 17 October 1877 in a small interior village called Katoor, which is
in the Thrissur district, Kerala,
India. She was
baptized in the church
of Edathiruthy on 25 October.
Her God-fearing parents brought her up in deep Christian faith. She had her
primary education in her village and at the age of ten she joined the boarding
house at Koonammavu which was established by Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara
and Fr. Leopold Beccaro OCD in 1868. From her childhood onwards, her life
witnessed to many divine interventions. The heavenly Mother appeared to her at
the age of nine and taught her how to pray with the nine choirs of angels. Once
while she was in the boarding house at Koonammavu she was at the point of death
and she received the apparition of the Holy Family and she received a
miraculous healing. She made her religious profession in CMC on 24 May 1900 at
the newly built convent, Ollur. The sisters who lived with her and many people
who approached her have experienced the power of her intercessory prayers and
she was known as ‘Praying mother’. A stream of love sprang from her heart
toward the sick, especially those who are affected by contagious deceases such
as cholera, T.B. etc. She had a special charisma to nurse the dying and prepare
them for happy death. There are many testimonies of people who received her
nursing care and prayerful support while they were sick. Among them some are
still alive. She died on 28 August 1952 at the age of seventy seven and buried
in the tomb of the Ollur convent.
Process
to Sainthood of Elavuthingal Euphrasia
The process of
canonization was started on 27 September 1986 and Fr. Lucas Vithuvatikal, CMI
was appointed as the postulator on 13 August 1987. He made the oath as
postulator in the presence of Mar Joseph Kundukulam, the Bishop of Thrissur, on
29 August 1987 and Sr. Euphrasia
Eluvathingal was declared as Servant of God on that day.
Sr. Perigrin was
appointed as Vice-postulator on 9 September 1987. The next year the diocesan
tribunal was established in the forane church of Ollur.
It was on 30 January 1990 the tomb of Servant of God Sr. Euphrasia was opened
and the mortal remains were transferred to the newly built tomb inside the chapel
of Ollur convent. During a liturgical
celebration which was officiated by Mar Joseph Kundukulam at the Cathedral
church the diocesan tribunal was officially closed on 19 June 1991. The Positio
on her heroic virtues was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints, Rome on
20 April 1994. The miraculous healing of Mr. Thomas Tharakan who was suffering
from bone cancer was ascribed to the intercessory power of the Servant of God
Sr. Euphrasia. The Tribunal for the ‘apostolic miracle’ was established on 8
January 1999. She was declared Venerable on 5 July 2002 by Pope John Paul
II. It was Pope Benedict XVI who
declared her as Blessed on 3 December 2006. St. Peter’s Square at Vatican is being prepared for the canonization
of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Blessed Euphrasia Eluvathingal along
with four other Blesseds from Italy
which will take place on 23 November 2014.
