Who was Sister Alphonsa?

Till a few days back, very few people outside Kerala would have heard of Sister Alphonsa. But now, almost 100 years after her birth, she will be canonised by the Vatican.

The Sister became the blessed Alphonsa after her beatification in Kottayam in 1986 by Pope John Paul II; and once a miracle was attributed to her, the path to sainthood was clear.

Sister's short life - she died at the age of 36 - was full of physical suffering. Her followers believe that she performed miracles during her lifetime, but it was really after her death that her movement towards sainthood gathered momentum.

She was buried at Bharananganam, at a graveyard that was later turned into a chapel. And the faithful truly believe that if they pray here, she will intercede on their behalf.

In the run up to Sister Alphonsa's canonisation, crowds have been pouring in to this shrine. They believe the woman buried here can intercede with God and they attribute miracles to her help.

But who is this woman who can inspire such devotion and faith?

The young Anna, known to her family as Annakutty, lost her mother within weeks of her birth in 1910. She was brought up at the affluent family home of her maternal aunt.

The family wanted her married but she was so determined to take up a life of spirituality that she reportedly burnt herself deliberately to stop any marriage proposal from bearing fruit.

"Ultimately, to withstand the pressure so exerted on her from her aunt and uncle, she decided to disfigure herself by putting her foot in the fire," said Pauly Mathew Murichen, Sister Alphonsa's grand nephew.

She joined the Franciscan Clarist order in Bharananganam and Annakutty became Sister Alphonsa.

The Sister studied in a convent as a child. She came here to live when she joined the congregation. And she stayed there until her death in 1946. Her room seems to have become a pilgrimage centre by itself.

Sister Alphonsa was a much loved teacher and the proud members of her congregation point out that it was students -- in her lifetime and after her death -- who began to feel there was something extra special about her.

"Students first identified her virtue. They come near to the tomb and prayed and the students get a lot of blessings from heaven," said Sister Jyothish, from Franciscan Clarist Congregation.

"Her grace gives us strength to study. She is very kind," said Akhil, a student.

People are so devoted to her that a family at the shrine believes they own the life of their young daughter to Alphonsa.

"This is my daughter, now she is studying in Class IX. Just after her birth she began to vomit the blood. The doctor told me there is no chance to live. Just after we decided to give the name Alphonsa, she got cured within minutes and stopped vomiting blood," said K P Varghese, the father.

This is a time when India is receiving criticism for attacks on Christians. It is also a time when the Catholic church has an Indian woman saint for the very first time. Her message was that of saints -- one of peace.