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St. Alphonsa, Patron of Our College

 

St. Alphonsa was born on 19th August, 1910 as the fourth child of Joseph and Mary Muttathupadath, in the parish of Kudamaloor, Kottayam district, Kerala. She was baptized on 27th August, 1910. Her baptismal name was Anna and her pet name was Annakutty. Her mother passed away three months after her birth.

Annakutty started her schooling at Arpookara and left for Muttuchira Government School for pursuing her further studies under the immediate supervision of her maternal aunt, Annamma Muricken. The aunt brought her up with extreme affection, but she was also equally strict. Her ambition was that the child should be brought up as a respectable housewife for a deserving bridegroom. Annakutty had a vision of St. Theresa of Liseux whose life inspired her to become religious. She therefore did not yield to any marriage proposal. Finally, when she was almost compelled to be betrothed at the Church, she extricated herself from it by voluntarily burning her foot. Against such determined resistance, the aunt succumbed to her desire and permitted her to join a convent. 

Annakutty joined the Clarist Convent at Bharananganam in 1927 on the feast of Pentecost. She received her veil postulant on 2nd August, 1928 with the name ‘Alphonsa’. Her vestition was on 19th May, 1930. Later, she joined the St. Theresa’s School, Chenganacherry for higher studies, on the completion of which she engaged in teaching for a period of a year at Vakakkad. Sr. Alphonsa entered the novitiate on 12th August, 1935. During this period, she had a severe attack of hemorrhage and it was feared that she would have to be sent back. But on the ninth day of novena held by herself and the community seeking intercession of Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavera, she was miraculously cured. She completed the novitiate and made the solemn profession of her religious vows on 12th August, 1936. 

Sr. Alphonsa continued to have her repeated spells of sickness and pain. She was on a bed of thorns torn and tortured by excruciating pain and prolonged agony. She always rejoiced in the Lord and magnified Him. She longed to suffer even more for her own sanctification and that of the world. She constantly advised her companions and novices to accept suffering cheerfully citing the Biblical references to the grain of wheat which has to fall down and decay for raising new sprouts; it has to be in the ground in order to be turned into hosts for transformation as the Body of Our Lord. She also reminded them of the grapes which have to be crushed for yielding wine to become the blood of the Lord. Her death (28th July 1946) went unnoticed by the public. The funeral was simple and thinly attended. But soon the school children, who loved her received favours through her intercession. Her tomb at Bharananganam turned into a great centre of pilgrimage attracting people, far and wide. 

His Excellency Cardinal Tisserant inaugurated the diocesan process for her beatification on 2nd December, 1953. The long diocesan and subsequent apostolic processes bore fruit on 9th November, 1984 when the Holy Father officially declared that she had practiced the Christian virtues valiantly. A miracle wrought through her intercession was also formally approved by the Pope on 6th July, 1985. 

Providence has been pleased to bestow on this generation the grace to see a daughter of the soil, a seed of the ancient Christian community of Kerala and India, beatified (8th February, 1986) in her homeland by the Supreme Pontiff during his visit to this chosen land. 

Sr. Alphonsa was bestowed with Sainthood by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, 12th October, 2008. 

St. Alphonsa is the Patron Saint of the College and she continues to intercede for the students of the College to grow up into good and God fearing human beings in addition to their excellent academic performance.

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Mar George Rajendran SDB

Chairman Bishop of Thuckalay

Dear Alphonsians,

The services of St. Alphonsa College of Arts and Science has been expanding and reaching out to a good number of students through the years since its establishment in 2014. The commitment of the teachers and the variety of programmes being organized will enthuse the youth today to remain active and alert to achieve greater heights.

When we desire to grow and obtain greater achievement, we need to seek answers for many questions and create a mind of enquiry and curiosity. We need to ask questions to ourselves first. In order to increase our resolve for learning, we need to ask questions such as “What have I learnt today?”, “How did I learn today?”, “What have I missed learning?” and thus evaluate oneself every day and when we do so, we will look for opportunities to perform and outperform our own expectations. Chris Grosser, famous photographer stated, “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” God has created us with abundance of abilities and we need to use and further them through our own efforts.

The Diocese of Thuckalay is committed to the vision and mission with which the College has been established and we are ready to provide best of facilities to let the best come out of the students.

I wish you all the very best to reap the best as an Alphonsian.

May God continue to bless you all.

Most Rev Fr.Antony Jose

Secretary & Correspondent

I shall instruct you and teach you the way to go; I shall not take my eyes off you.

- Psalm 32:8

Dear Alphonsians, Parents and Guardians,

The above words of the Psalmist are lived everyday at every step of St. Alphonsa College of Arts and Science, an institution established and administered by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Thuckalay. I believe, a higher education institution is a holy sanctum for learning, where each student and scholar is vested with a potential opportunity to be shaped into a wonderful human being with excellence in the respective fields of education and also identifying the potential and enriching them. St. Alphonsa College considers every Alphonsian to be endowed with variety of talents and specially carved out personalities and our talented faculty aid each one to elegantly grow his / her knowledge.

The College offers a carefully carved out platform for excellence, a commitment that we have professed since its establishment in 2014.

Come, join the Alphonsian family and reap the benefit of quality education for development.

God Bless you all.

Rev. Dr. Micheal Arockiasamy

Principal

Dear Friends,

St. Alphonsa College of Arts and Science with its vision – Educate, Empower, Excel – aims to provide quality education to all the sections of the society including minority, backward and disadvantaged students in Kanyakumari district, particularly in Karungal region. The college provides an excellent infrastructure with well-equipped laboratories, seminar halls, and a state-of-the-art A/C library. 

Besides its goal to bring the best in students to make them better citizens, the College tries to impart in students academic excellence, discipline and above all the humanitarian values. To harness the skills and talents, the college provides regular training to students to develop their soft skills, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Quality as its watchword in all spheres of life and particularly in academics, the College provides the best to the least and prepare men and women for others who would act as catalysts in the process of social transformation.

Alphonsians - past and present, unite in continuous endeavor to be trend setters and change makers, a light that shines even brighter in the dark. May each one of you be the messengers of hope and serenity, radiating the knowledge you have acquired at St. Alphonsa College.

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