St. Alphonsa is the first woman from India to be canonised as a saint and there is a shrine to St. Alphonsa in Saint Anne’s Church near the confessionals.
Her feast day is 28th July so at Sunday Mass on 30th July the picture of Saint Alphonsa will be carried in procession and there will be a special prayer at the end of Mass.
At her Canonisation Mass Pope Benedict XVI spoke these words: “her heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of deep suffering remind us that God always provides the strength we need to overcome every trial”.
On this feast we pray especially for all the members of our parish community from India.