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Blessed Euphrasia the Carmelite Nun from India - The Apostle of the Eucharist and Holy Rosary   - Sr. Joe Therese

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Euphrasia Eluvathingal (Rosa) was born on October 17, 1877, in the village of Kattur, in Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur in Thrissur district, India. Rosa was the eldest child of Eluvathingal Cherpukaran Antony and Kunjethy. On the 8th day, she was baptized in the Edathuruthy church. Her mother’s deep piety and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,  had a strong influence on little Rose from her childhood.  From the stories that her mother told her, especially about St. Rose of Lima, gave her strong desire to practice the virtues, to suffer for Jesus and to be holy. During her developing years Rose began to detach herself from earthly possessions and worldly pleasures and took a great interest in spiritual matters. This was all the more rooted in her at the age of 9 by means of apparition of the Blessed Mother Mary, after which she offered herself totally in the Lord. Notwithstanding the strong opposition of her father, who wanted Rose to marry into a rich family, Rose wanted to become a religious sister. The sudden death of her younger sister brought about a change in her father, who granted permission to enter the convent. In fact, her father accompanied her personally to the convent of the Congregation of the mother of Carmel at Koonammavu, the first indigenous congregation of Syro-Malabar Church.
    
At the age of 12, she joined the boarding attached to the first indigenous Carmelite community founded by Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Rev. Leopold Beccaro at Koonammavu. In 1897, Mar John Menachery, the first native Bishop of Thrissur, established a Carmelite Convent in Ambazakad (now belonging to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda ). Then he brought from Koonammavu all who belonged to his Diocese including Rosa on May 9th. On the next day Rosa received her headdress and the name “Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”, and in 1898 the Religious Habit of Carmel. Euphrasia took her perpetual vows on 24 May 1900 during the blessing of the newly founded convent at Ollur.

Rosa was often afflicted with various illnesses which caused her intense suffering, and the sisters were planning to send her away during a particular painful attack, but through an apparition of the Holy Family she received miraculous healing that permitted her to continue following God’s call. On 24thMay 1900, St. Mary’s Convent was founded in the current Archdioceses of Trichur, and on the same day Sr. Euphrasia made her perpetual vows to God. It was a day of unspeakable joy for Sr. Euphrasia, because she became the spouse of the Heavenly King, Jesus. she took her perpetual vows, she was appointed assistant to the Novice Mistress. Though frail in health, Euphrasia exhibited rare moral courage, spiritual power and a very high sense of responsibility and so she was soon appointed Novice Mistress of the Congregation in which position she worked for nine years. After this she was made Mother Superior of St. Mary’s Convent, Ollur.

 In Blessed Euphrasia we witness, how the religious by their presence, suffering, prayer and sacrifice accompany in the day to day life of the church, the Ecclesial authorities and people of God. Mother Euphraisa who kept great intimacy with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, stayed long hours daily before the Blessed Sacrament. She was unusually eager and steadfast in spending her time in tender loving conversation with Jesus in silent adoration. Blessed Euphrasia spent long hours before the Eucharist Lord in prayer and reciting rosary and she was known among the people as “the praying mother”.  Mother Euphrasia always desired to identify herself with the crucified Lord, who manifested surpassing stability in faith and long suffering amidst all kinds of sorrows and afflictions caused by the powers of darkness. Euphrasia was a great apostle of the Eucharist and the rosary. She was fully engaged in loving and consoling the crucified Lord. Prayer was her life breath wherever she was. Observing peace and prayerfulness of her face, the sisters used to call her “the mobile Tabernacle”.
    
In Euphrasia we see the right blending of contemplation and action, which is the spirit of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel. Her love of God flowed out in compassion and love to the people of God, who came to her for healing, in financial difficulties, family problems, for passing examinations, and for receiving jobs. Her love, care, and prayer reached out to everyone in need. With incessant prayer, Mother Euphrasia grew in the perfect Eternal Love, and with a smile she led the people, to the experience of Divine Love. She was in forefront in humiliating herself, accepting sufferings, misunderstandings and in rejections for the sake of the Lord. She attained union with God; Jesus made her His spouse with the grace of mystical marriage, putting on her finger the mystic wedding ring. Mother Euphrasia who offered her life as a holocaust of the love of God, surrendered to his will fully, and her soul flew in to the arms of God in heavenly embrace on August 29th1952.

Sr. Joe Therese

Kenosha, 10/9/14
 



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