Kochi/Thrissur: Sr Mariam Thresia will be canonised by Pope Francis at Vatican on Sunday. The Pope is scheduled to make the historic declaration at St Peter’s Basilica Square at 1.30 pm.
An Indian delegation, including Cardinal George Alenc-herry, Major Arch-bishop of Syro-Malabar Church, Archbi-shop Andrews Thazhath, Bishop Jacob Manathodath, union minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan, MPs Benny Behanan and T.N.
Prathapan will attend the event.
Mariam Thresia, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family (CHF), will be declared as a saint along with Cardinal John Henry Newman from England, Sr Dulce Lopes from Brazil, Sr Giuseppina Vannini of Italy and Marguerite Bays, a lay woman from Switzerland.
Mariam Thresia was born in a prominent Christian family named Chiramel Mankidiyan in Puthanchira village near Mala, Irinjalakuda, on May 3, 1876.
Thresia adopted the name Mariam Thresia in 1904 as she believed that Virgin Mary had asked her to adopt Mariam to her name in a vision. She started her social work at the age of 16 by taking care of those affected by the dreaded epidemic herpes (Vasoori).
