Sister Alphonsa was born in a family of modest means as the fourth child of Muttathupadath Ouseph and Marian on August 19, 1910 at Kudamaloor in Kottayam. She was christened Annakutty by her relatives.
She lost her mother when she was three-months-old and her life was full of pain and suffering, which she overcame by seeking solace in deep spirituality.
From a very young age, she had shown an inclination for spiritual life. According to biographers, during her childhood she once deliberately burnt one of her legs so that she could avoid being accosted by suitors when she grew up.
Image: Devotees of Sister Alphonsa gather as they watch television monitors at a special holy mass during celebrations in Bharananganam.
Photograph: Raveendran/AFP/Getty Images
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