Saint Alphonsa
A walk down my memory lane
Sri.M.J.Baby,Chief Editor,Labour India is fortunate to have closeness with Saint Alphonsa for years during his boyhood.He recalls those blessed days
.The house where I was born and brought up was within earshot of the clarist convent, Bharananganam, in which St. Alphonsa lived for years. Being the next- door neighbours we had very good relations with all the inmates of the convent. In those days there functioned the St. Thressia’s L. P. School in a building adjacent to St. Alphonsa’s room. The first standard in which I studied was the nearest class to St. Alphonsa’s room. The uproar and cries of children in our home often caused nuisance to St. Alphonsa too. I was known to St. Alphonsa even before I was admitted to standard one. Of the last four years of St. Alphonsa’s life there were few days I missed her presence. During almost all the working days we could see St. Alphonsa, standing in her white religious uniform on the veranda of her room or in the yard adjacent to our classes or near the window of her room that faces our classes. It was a pleasure for her to look at us children. Sometimes she had with her fruits like mango or jamba for us.
An old man, “grandpa of Kudamaloor” we children at home used to call him- used to visit us occasionally. In these days when transportation facilities were very meagre, that old man who used to come to Bharanganam to visit his daughter in the convent would to stay in our house to see his daughter once again the next morning. He was none other than St. Alphonsa’s dear father.
St. Alphonsa passed away when I was in the preparatory class (standard v). It was a Sunday afternoon. I was sitting alone on our front veranda looking at the lonely road in front of our house. It was Rev. Fr. Jacob Mannanal, the assistant vicar who came that way from the convent that told me about the death of Sr. Alphonsa. I still remember his words to me: “Hey, St. Alphonsa is no more”. I ran to St. Alphonsa’s room. The body was laid on her cot. Her beautiful face had a brighter look. I just couldn’t believe that she was dead. To me she was not old enough to die. It was quite unbelievable for a nine year old boy’s mind. I had heard that St. Alphonsa was suffering from some illness. But that ever smiling face , that loving nature, that calm and gentle ways, that beautiful face etc of our dear Alphonsamma never gave us any clue about her untimely death.
The funeral services were held the next day। From our home my elder sister Mary, younger brother Sebastian and myself participated in the burial। The sad face of our “grandpa of Kudamaloor” who stood motionless beside the coffin still remains unfaded in my memory. St. Alphonsa was an embodiment of love and suffering. I am confident that her blessings will be with me throughout my life.
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