Thrissur: Several nuns and priests of Thrissur archdiocese and Irinjalakuda diocese along with thousands of devotees thronged Kuzhikkattussery shrine here at Puthanchira to take part in holy mass and special prayers which were held on the occasion of canonisation of mother Mariam Thresia Chiramel on Sunday.
Mariam Thresia and four others were declared Saints by Pope Francis at a grand ceremony at the Vatican City on Sunday. The priests at the shrine, where the sister is laid to rest, placed a golden crown on her statue at the church minutes before the ceremony.
Promoter of Kuzhikkattussery shrine, Father Jose Kavungal placed the crown on the statue of the mother in the presence of one of the vicars-general of Irinjalakuda dioceses Jose Manjaly.
“Mother Mariam Thresia worked as a family apostolate and broke conventions as a woman who stretched her boundaries to enter social work nearly a century ago. This is a proud movement for us,” Fr Kavungal said.
Several clergy from across Kerala and from nearby states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had reached Kuzhikkattussery shrine on Sunday.
Mother Mariam Thresia who passed away at an age of 50 in 1926 is from Puthanchira village in Mala near Irinjalakuda. Born in a Christian family, she started her social work at an age of 16 by taking care of those affected by the dreaded epidemic Herpes disease (Vasoori).
