Six years after the Canonisation of Sister Alphonsa as India's first woman saint by Vatican, two other beatified candidates from Kerala, Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia have moved closer to the sainthood with Pope Francis approving miracles attributed to them.
Both Chavara and Euphrasias belonged to Kerala-based Syro Malabar Church, from which Sister Alphonsa also hailed.
According to church sources in Kerala, the Pope today endorsed the decree submitted by the Vatican's panel on sainthood accepting the miracles attributed to Chavara and Euphrasia, both beatified during the tenure of Pope John Paul II.
An official declaration will be made later by the consistory of Cardinals and decide on further proceedings of Canonisation of them, the sources said.
Chavara (1805-1871), born in Kainakari near Alappuzha, was a social reformer and educator of the Kerala Catholic community. He founded the congregation called Carmalites Mary Immaculate (CMI), which runs sveral educational and charity institutions. He was beatified in 1986.
Sister Euphrasia (1877-1952), who led a pious life of total devotion, hailed from Kattoor near Thrissur in central Kerala.
Sister Alphonsa of Bharananganam in Kottayam became India's first home-grown saint when she was canonised on October 12,2008. The convent she lived in has since then turned into a pilgrim centre visited by devotees from all parts of the world.
