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Pope canonises India's Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia in Vatican

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Two Indian Catholic Priests viz. Blessed Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Blessed Sister Euphrasia were canonized by Pope Francis on 23.11.2014 at St Peter's Square in Vatican. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P.J.Kurien, led the Indian delegation to the event at the Vatican, told reporters that he was excited to witness a historic occasion. Mr. M.K. Lokesh, Ambassador of India accredited to the Vatican was also present on the occasion. Blessed Chavara, who lived in the 19th century, had been a visionary priest and social reformer whose contributions spread across education, media and social justice. He had started the first school for weaker sections and ensured every church erected a school nearby. The priest, who fought for appointing Kerala priests as bishops instead of foreign missionaries, had founded the first Catholic religious congregation for men and women in the country. Towards the fag end of his life, Chavara had been appointed as the first vicar-general of the Syro-Malabar Church, taking it from the shadow of the Latin Catholic Church in Kerala. Blessed Euphrasia had been a member of the congregation Carmelites of Mother Carmel (CMC), founded by Chavara. Known as 'praying mother', she had fully dedicated her life to prayer. She died in 1952 at the age of 75.


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