Kochi, Oct, 1, 2019: A large contingent comprising 180 nuns from the country, including 120 from Kerala, are scheduled to travel to the Vatican this month to witness a historic occasion for the Indian Catholic Church.

On October 13, Sister Mariam Thresia of the Congregation of Holy Family will be proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis from the hallowed grounds of the Sistine Chapel. The nuns from the congregation based in Mannuthy, Thrissur, which Sr Mariam founded in 1914, are full of excitement and joy at the prospect of witnessing the ceremony.

“Sr Mariam was a great social reformer who took up the cause of education of women way back in the 19th century. It is a proud moment for all nuns here, that she is being elevated to sainthood for all the miracles attributed to her,” said Mother General Udaya, Congregation of Holy Family, Mannuthy.

As many as 180 nuns from the nearly 2,000 convents under the congregation from all over the world will take part in the ceremony to be held on October 13 at the Vatican, said Sr Udaya. “We have 248 convents in Kerala alone and over 1,000 sisters here. As many as 120 nuns from Kerala and 60 from North India will go to Rome,” she said. In April 2000, Sr Mariam was beatified in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II for miraculously curing a 14-year-old boy in Thrissur, who had difficulty in walking due to congenital clubfoot. Sr Udaya said Sr Mariam came to the boy in his dream.

“The boy saw the nun rubbing his feet and the very next day his leg straightened and he was able to walk without difficulty,” said Sr Udaya. The miracle for her sainthood was that she saved the life of a premature baby born at Amala Hospital, Thrissur, in 2009. “Born prematurely, the baby ended up in ventilator. The family was crushed and they prayed before the relic of Sr Mariam, which was brought to the hospital by a nurse. This paved way for her elevation as a saint,” said Sr Udaya.

“Sr Mariam Thresia was a bold woman who always gave importance to family problems of people. At a time when women were barred from working or going out in public, she took a brave step to heal the mental and physical wounds of people,” said Sr Marietta belonging to the Congregation of Holy Faith in Kalamassery.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2019/oct/01/sr-mariam-thresias-canonisation-180-nuns-to-visit-vatican-2041457.html