Blessed Euphrasia

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Blessed Euphrasia

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.

After 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. Prayer was her life breath wherever she was. Hence people called her the "Praying Mother" and “the mobile tabernacle.”

The bed where Blessed Euphrasia took her last breadth in St Mary's convent, Ollur, Thrissur, shown in the museum.

Euphrasia died on August 29, 1952 at Ollur Convent in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur where she is buried later. Her tomb in Ollur Convent has become a pilgrimage site as miracles have been reported by some faithful. The miracle attributed to her beatification and approved by the Vatican was the healing of the carpenter from bone cancer.