Saint Euphrasia:

Feast day : 29 August

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who was a Carmelite nun of the Syro Malabar Church in Kerala. She lived during the period 1877-1952. Mother Euphrasia offered her whole life as a sacrifice for the love of God. She abandoned herself to His will and gave her maternal love and tenderness to all those who sought her help. She was called by the local people as the ‘Praying Mother’ and also the ‘Mobile Tabernacle’ because she was so united to Jesus in her heart and always reflected the Divine Presence in her. Mother Euphrasia spent much of her day in the convent chapel before the Blessed Sacrament and she also nourished a great love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was canonized on 23 November 2014 by Pope Francis. Her feast day is celebrated on 30 August in the universal church.

Early life:

She was born Rosa Eluvathingal on 17 October 1877 in Kattoor village, Trissur District, Kerala, India to Cherpukaran Antony and Kunjethy. Her mother's deep piety and great devotion to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, had a strong influence on little Rose from her childhood. From the stories that her mother told her, especially about St. Rose of Lima, she grew with a strong desire to practice all the Christian virtues, to suffer for Jesus and to be holy, and to do all this in a quiet, hidden manner. She began to detach herself from earthly possessions and pleasures and took a great interest in spiritual matters. At the age of 9 she had an apparition of the Blessed Virgin of which she later wrote in her letters to her spiritual father as "At home I asked my mother, after prayer what is meant by ‘Queen of Angels’ in the Litany after the Rosary. Then mother told me about our Holy Mother and angels. She told me that they adore the Lord and are always near Him. Somehow Father! I thought much about it. Went on thinking without sleep. Then a very beautiful lady came to me and called me. Let us adore the Lord! Adore the Lord with the first choir of angels. Saying thus, came to me at each hour. Three days continuously this beautiful lady made me do it. With that all the hours were impressed in my mind. I will never forget it. My Father, I didn’t know this person at that time, now I know. Then I was (9) years old. Tell your father and mother to take you to the Convent, saying this [she] left” (Letter 30, 18 Feb.,1904, p.158). “You must tell your Sp. Father also about the adoration with the angels which I have taught you at the age of nine. I like that very much”. “She also commanded me to inform in detail how once she cleared my doubt about it” (Letter 30, p. 156).

Following the apparition she offered herself totally to the Lord. Notwithstanding the strong opposition of her father, who wanted Rose to marry into a rich family, she persisted in her desire to become a religious Sister. Her intense prayer life, which included the rosary, fasting and abstinence, as well as the rather sudden death of her younger sister, brought about a change of heart in her father, Anthony, who eventually granted Rose permission to enter the convent.

Vocational life:

Her father accompanied her personally to the convent of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel at Koonammavu, the first indigenous congregation of Syro-Malabar on 10 May 1897. Rose became a postulant and took the name Sr Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and on 10 January 1898 she received the holy habit of Carmel. She practised the virtues of humility, charity and renunciation and grew in holiness with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On 24 May 1900 Sr. Euphrasia made her perpetual vows to God. The Lord handed over Mother Euphrasia to be tempted by the evil spirits during the period from 1st November 1902 (Letter 24) to 17th September 1911 (Letter 64) – for about 8 years and 10 months. Mother Euphrasia suffered attacks, temptations, pains and troubles from the evil spirits. However, for the periods of grave illness and the trials of the powers of darkness that she endured, she was rewarded by intense spiritual joys. After her long period of suffering, Our Lord Jesus, the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph came to console her, help her and strengthen her. It was after all those horrifying trials and sufferings that the Lord said, they were defeated. After that heavenly spirits ministered unto her. It was the Lord’s will that Mother Euphrasia win over the evil spirits in all the trials and the evil spirits acknowledge that they were defeated by her.

From 1904 to 1913 Saint Euphrasia was entrusted with the duty of novice mistress and, sustained by the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, she formed the future members of her Congregation. Although Saint Euphrasia wanted to live a hidden life, she was chosen as Superior of the Convent of St Mary at Ollur. She held the post from 1913 to 1916. For almost 48 years the convent of St Mary was home to Mother Euphrasia. Observing her life of prayer and holiness, the local people called her "Praying Mother", and her Sisters in the community referred to her as the "Mobile Tabernacle", because the Divine Presence she kept within her radiated to all whom she encountered. She was famous for her holiness and people came to seek her advice and prayers from far and near. Mother Euphrasia spent much of her day in the convent chapel before the Blessed Sacrament and she also nourished a great love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mother Euphrasia had a profound sense for the Church and she personally felt the sorrows and problems of the Church of her day. She offered her mortifications and penances for the conversion of schismatics and asked the novices and children to pray for them. She prayed ardently before the Blessed Sacrament for the Holy Father, for Bishops, Priests and Religious. There is a one-and-a quarter foot long Crucifix in Mother Euphrasia’s room. She used to be immersed in contemplation peering at the crucifix and holding it close to her bosom. Sometimes, in contemplation she would be in ecstasy for two to three hours forgetful of everything. Her roommates were witnesses to this. On such occasions it would be impossible to take away the Crucifix even if they tried to do so forcibly. She wrote to her Sp. Father thus: “Father, the sole consolation of my heart is to pray looking at the Crucifix and shedding tears” (Letter 64, 17 Sep., 1911, p.300).

Death and Canonization:

Mother Euphrasia offered her life as a sacrifice for the love of God. She abandoned herself to His will and finally joined him in the heavenly embrace with her holy death on 29 August 1952. After Mother Euphrasia's death many of those who had obtained her help during her lifetime continued to beseech her help at her tomb. In 1990 her tomb was opened, and her mortal remains were moved to the convent chapel. Pope John Paul II approved the Decree of the heroic virtues of the Servant of God in 2002, proclaiming her Venerable. On Sunday, 3 December 2006, she became the fifth Blessed of Kerala and the sixth of India. She was canonized on 23 November 2014 by Pope Francis. Her feast is celebrated on 30 August.