First Installation Of St. Alphonsa’s Relics Outside Kerala

AHMEDABAD, Gujarat, Jan. 13, 2010, 09.30 Hrs (SAR News):

More than 3,000 Christians and people of other faiths attended a procession and liturgical ceremonies of the first installation of the Saint Alphonsa’s relic outside Kerala, at Ahmedabad.

Bishop Thomas Macwan of Ahmedabad installed the relic of the first woman Christian saint of India in a specially prepared niche at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish Church at Naranpura here.

The ceremony started with a car rally from Mount Carmel Cathedral Church in the Old City, crossing the Sabarmati River, to the western part of Ahmedabad.

Bishop Macwan carried the relic in decorated car. Malayalam-speaking Catholics and many other devotees lined a half-kilometre-long road leading to St. Ignatius Loyola Church. They received the relic with drumbeating, holding colourful umbrellas.

Bishop Thomas led the Mass with 12 priests concelebrating with him. The liturgical ceremony was held in the Assembly Hall of St. Xavier’s Loyola High School next to St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

Assistant parish priest Father K. C. Thomas, SJ, spoke briefly at the beginning of the Mass explaining the significance and relevance of the relic. He also gave a short life history of St. Alphonsa, whom he described as a “saint of suffering with much love.”

“We believe the installation of the relic at St. Ignatius Church will be a source of innumerable blessings to people of different castes and creeds. We shall bring all our needs and petitions at her feet for her powerful intercession,” said Thomas.

In his homily, Bishop Macwan expressed his happiness at seeing such a large number of St. Alphonsa’s devotees. He said the installation of Alphonsa’s relics at the Loyola Church was a unique and historic event. “St. Ignatius Loyola Church has now the honour of having St. Alphonsa’s relic as the only place outside Kerala,” the bishop said.

He congratulated the St. Alphonsa’s Relic Installation Committee and the entire Malayalee community in his diocese on taking the initiative and bringing the relic from Palai, Kerala, to Ahmedabad.

At the end of the Mass, Episcopal Vicar Father Kuriachen Paul (in charge of Syro-Malabar and other Malayalee Catholics) read out the certificate of the Bishop of Palai, Monsignor Joseph Kallarangatt saying that the relic was from the remains of St. Alphonsa.

After the Mass, Bishop Macwan led the novena prayers and then blessed the niche inside Loyala Church and installed the relic for the public devotion.

Devotees of St. Alphonsa came in large numbers from neighbouring dioceses of Gandhinagar and Baroda to participate in the installation function and the Sunday liturgy.