Mother Eliswa declared 'Blessed'

KOCHI: Mother Eliswa has now been declared Blessed. The announcement was made at a ceremony held at the National Marian Pilgrimage Centre, Vallarpadam Basilica, in the presence of the faithful. The declaration was announced during the Holy Mass at 4 pm on Saturday by Archbishop Dr Sebastian Francis of Penang, Malaysia, who represented the Pope. Cardinal Dr Oswald Gracias unveiled the devotional image of Mother Eliswa. Her relics were officially received and placed on the altar. The Apostolic Nuncio to India, Archbishop Dr Leopoldo Girelli, sent a special message for the occasion.

Mother Eliswa was the first nun in the Kerala Catholic Church and the founder of the Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites (TOCD). She was born in 1811 at Ochanthuruth in Ernakulam district and passed away in 1913. Her canonisation process began in 2008, she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2023, and the Pope later approved a miracle attributed to her intercession, paving the way for her beatification.