Patrons

Patrons

Saint Alphonsa

Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu, F.C.C., or Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception (Malayalam: അൽഫോൻസാ മുട്ടത്തുപാടം) (19 August 1910 – 28 July 1946) was a Syro-Malabar Catholic Franciscan Religious Sister who is now honored as a saint. She is the first person of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church and the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community.

Early life
She was born Anna Muttathupadathu, the fourth child of Cherian Ouseph and Mary Muttathupadathu, in Kudamalloor, near Kottayam, on 19 August 1910. She was baptized on the following 26 August. Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, was born in Arpookara, a village in the princely state of Travancore, which was under the British Raj at the time. Today the place is called Kottayam District, within the state of Kerala, India. This lies within the Archdiocese of Changanassery.

Her parents nicknamed her Annakkutty (little Anna). She had a poor, difficult childhood and experienced loss and suffering early on in life. Anna's mother died when she was young, so her maternal aunt raised her. Hagiographies describe her early life as one of suffering at the hands of her stern foster mother and the teasing of schoolchildren.[1] Anna was educated by her great-uncle, Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. When Anna was three years old, she contracted eczema and suffered for over a year.[2] In 1916 Anna started school in Arpookara. She received her First Communion on 27 November 1917. In 1918, she was transferred to a school in Muttuchira. In 1923, Anna's feet were burnt when she fell into a pit of burning chaff; local hagiographies describe this as a self-inflicted injury in order to avoid her foster mother's attempt to arrange a marriage for, and thereby to fulfill her desire for becoming a Religious Sister instead.[1] This accident left her permanently disabled.

Blessed Alphonsa is one of our Heavenly Patron and was the motivation for the founder leader Mr. P.C.Abraham Pallaattukunnel.

With great joy and gratitude, Cherupushpa Mission League has celebrated the Canonization with variety programmes. CML Members from different dioceses of Kerala joined together at CML Mathrubhavan, Bharanangaanam and conducted a procession to the Tomb of St. Alphonsa. There was a special thanks giving Holy Mass also at the Tomb of St. Alphonsa by our Patron Rt. Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasious etc.

 

Francis Xavier


Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain) and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534.[1] He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the time. He was influential in the spreading and upkeep of Catholicism most notably in India, but also ventured into Japan, Borneo, the Moluccas, and other areas which had thus far not been visited by Christian missionaries. In these areas, being a pioneer and struggling to learn the local languages in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. It was a goal of Xavier to one day reach China.

Early life
Francis Xavier was born in the family castle of Xavier (Xabier, toponymic name whose origin comes from "etxaberri" meaning "new house" in the Basque language) in the Kingdom of Navarre on 7 April 1506 according to a family register. He was born to an aristocratic family of the Kingdom of Navarre, the youngest son of Juan de Jaso, privy counselor to King John III of Navarre (Jean d'Albret), and Doña Maria de Azpilcueta y Aznárez, sole heiress of two noble Navarrese families. He was thus related to the great theologian and philosopher Martín de Azpilcueta. Notwithstanding different interpretations on his first language,[2] no evidence suggests that Xavier's mother tongue was other than Basque, as stated by himself and confirmed by the sociolinguistic environment of the time.

Missionary work
Francis devoted much of his life to missions in Asia, after being appointed by King John III of Portugal to take charge as Apostolic Nuncio in Portuguese India, where the king believed that Christian values were eroding among the Portuguese. After successive appeals to the Pope asking for missionaries for the East Indies under the Padroado agreement, John III was enthusiastically advised by Diogo de Gouveia, rector of the Collège Sainte-Barbe, to draw the newly graduated youngsters that would establish the Society of Jesus.[5] Leaving Rome in 1540, Francis took with him a breviary, a catechism and a Latin book (De Instituione bene vivendi) written by the Croatian humanist Marko Marulić that had become popular in the counter-reformation. The breviary and the book by Marulić accompanied Xavier on all of his voyages, and was used as source material for much of his preaching. According to a 1549 letters of F. Balthasar Gago in Goa, it was the only book that Francis read or studied.[6]
 

St. Therese, "the little flower"


Therese Martin was the last of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon, France. However, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood. Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything.

At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in His merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love You!"

The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, "Story of a Soul". She described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." Therese lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.

Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us.She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title "little flower" remained with St. Therese.

Her inspiration and powerful presence from heaven touched many people very quickly. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Had she lived, she would have been only 52 years old when she was declared a Saint.

"My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said. "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Roses have been described and experienced as Saint Therese's signature. Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." She has been acclaimed "the greatest saint of modern times." In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Therese a Doctor of the Church - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world.

The message of St. Therese is beautiful, inspiring, and simple. Please visit the areas in this section of the Web site to learn more about this wonderful Saint.

St Thomas, the Apostle

St. Thomas the Apostle: St. Thomas was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is also knows as Apostle of India. He is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. St. Thomas had come to India in 52 A.D in Cranganore near Cochin. It is believed that he constructed 7 churches. The seven churches were, Cranganore (Malankara), Chavakad (Palur), Parur near Alwaye, Gokamangalam, Niranam, Nilakkal (Chayal), Quilon (Kalyan). Then he proceeded to the East coast of India and died as a Martyr in a place called Mylapore near the present town of Chennai (Madras).

Founder Leader Kunjettan Expired

Our Founder Leader Mr. P.C. Abraham Pallaattukunnel is no more !

P.C. Abraham, popularly known as “Kunjettan” (little brother), who founded Cherupushpa Mission League, died on Aug. 11 in a hospital in Kerala nine days after he was involved in a road accident.The funeral was on Aug. 13 atChemmalamattam, his native parish in Pala diocese. Kunjettan was 84 and survived by his wife and seven children.

“I mourn the death of a person who led such an ideal Christian life,” Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Arch Bishop of Syro-Malabar Church and President of the C.B.C.I, said in his condolence message. The prelate recalled that Kunjettanhad inspired thousands of young people to become missioners working in India and abroad.The cardinal said the Indian Church had honored Abraham for his contributions to the Cherupushpa Mission League he founded 63 years ago.

CML is a forum for young people in parishes that helps missions by raising funds and offering prayers. It conducts regular programs on the life and needs of missions in India and overseas. The league has some 1.7 million members and about 41,500 of its former members are now nuns and priests serving the Church throughout the world. Among them are 37 bishops. Three of Kunjettan's four daughters are nuns.

“Kunjettan’s death is a great loss for the Church in India,” said Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam of Changanasserry in his condolence message. The archbishop, a former Mission League member, hailed Kunjettan as a “unique” lay missioner who was the lifeblood of his lay organization.

Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt of Kottayam noted that the late lay missioner led a simple life and was inspired by the teachings of a local saint, St. Alphonsa. Kunjettan's home village was nearBharananganam where St. Alphonsa, spent the last 10 years of her life. In an interview, Kunjettan recalled how the saint used to ask him to pray for missioners whenever he went to seek her blessings.

Retired Bishop Joseph Pallikaparampil of Pala, mourning Abraham’s death, noted the layman spent six decades nurturing the growth of the Mission League. “He met with his accident while on a League-related journey.

The Church has lost a big missioner,” he said.Bishop JacobManathodath of Palghat said Kunjettan had sacrificed his entire life in selflessly serving the Indian Church’s missionary apostolate.

Bishop VargheseChakkalakal of Kannursaid Kunjettan played a leading role in maintaining the mission spirit inKerala. According to him, the Mission League has been most instrumental in producing religious vocations in Kerala. Asizeable number of priests and nuns working in India’s 160 dioceses come from this state.

Thousands of CMLmembers including former National President Justice Kurian Joseph, National-State-Diocesan Leaders, have participated in the burialceremony of Kunjettan held at Chemmelamattom. CML prepared a special tomb at Chemmalamattom Church Cemetery for Kunjettan.

Kunjettan'sDead body atBharananganam Church

Kunjettan'sWife

Canonization of Blessed Alphonsa !!!

Oh! Lord Jesus, Thank you for the blessings !

Blessed Sister Alphonsa of Bharanangaanam became the first Saint form Indian Church !!

By the Grace of God, Blessed Sister Alphonsa of Bharanangaanam, has been Canonized by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on the 12th of October 2008 at St. Peter's Basilica of Vatican.

Blessed Alphonsa is one of our Heavenly Patron and was the motivation for the founder leader Mr. P.C.Abraham Pallaattukunnel.

With great joy and gratitude, Cherupushpa Mission League has celebrated the Canonization with variety programmes. CML Members from different dioceses of Kerala joined together at CML Mathrubhavan, Bharanangaanam and conducted a procession to the Tomb of St. Alphonsa. There was a special thanks giving Holy Mass also at the Tomb of St. Alphonsa by our Patron Rt. Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasious etc.

Cherupushpa Mission League

Cherupushpa Mission League ( CML ) is the biggest Missionary Organisation for Laity in Asia. CML was started under the guidance and blessings of the Bishop of the Changanacherry Arch Diocese Mar James Kaalassery, in the year 1947 at Bharananganam by the living legend of Kerala Church - Kunjettan (Mr. P.C. Abraham Pallaattukunnel) and Late V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Malipparambil who was the founder Director of CML.

When India got independence, most of the foreign Missionaries had retired from their activities and they returned to their home countries. The Mission activities across the country got stagnated due to the scarcity of dedicated Missionaries. During this period Mr. P.C. Abraham Pallaattukunnel was inspired by the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII - “The Salvation of India is in her Sons itself”. He was motivated by Blessed Sr. Alphonsa of Bharananganam and he decided to do something to boost the Mission activities across the sub continent. Accordingly he met Rev. Fr. Joseph Malipparambil who was the Assistant Vicar of Bharananganam and shared his wishes. At last they have decided to start an organisation –“Cherupushpa Mission League” to foster Vocation Promotion and to help Mission Activities across the country by means of Man, Money and Prayers.

CML was inaugurated on the 3rd of October 1947 by the Aux. Bishop of the Diocese of Kottayam Mar. Thomas Tharayil at Bharananganam. Following were the first members of CML
1. Rev. Fr. Joseph Malipparambil
2. Mr. P.C. Abrabam Pallaattukunnel (Kunjettan)
3. Mr. T.T. Mathew Thekkumkattil
4. Mr. M.K. Joseph Maramattom
5. Mr. P.J. Thomas Palaplackal
6. Mr. T.T. Mathew Thakidiyel
7. Mr. K.S. Mathew Kizhakkekara

The growth of CML was unbelievable. Within no time CML spread across all most all dioceses of Kerala. Now CML units are functioning in all most all parishes of the three different Rites of Kerala church, in different dioceses across India and in various countries like USA, UK, and in some Gulf Countries.