Note: For the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring women who were beatified or canonized in the 20th or 21st centuries.
The Basics: Born October 17, 1877, in India; died August 29, 1952, in India; canonized November 23, 2014, by Francis I; feast day, August 29; woman religious.
The Story: She was born Rose Eluvathingal, the eldest daughter in a wealthy, faithful, Syro-Malabar 
Catholic family. From the time she was very young, Rose had a deep spiritual connection to the Holy Mother, and began attending a Carmelite boarding school when she was ten. Rose felt the call to become a woman religious, and her father relented after initially preferring that she marry. She took her final vows as Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel when she was twenty-two. Despite poor health, she served as the congregation’s mother superior for three years, and also spent time as the novice mistress. Euphrasia was known for the struggles she had with her temper… and also for her devotion to Mary, the Eucharist, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which garnered her the nickname, “The Praying Mother.” Her fifty years in cloister also produced a rich series of letters about her spiritual journey, written and preserved at the request of her first spiritual director.
Euphrasia’s Wisdom: “My joy is to live a hidden life unknown to all.”
What We Can Learn from Euphrasia: We influence others more than we realize. While Euphrasia preferred a hidden life, her journey continues to inspire us today. In your interactions today, consider how you are reflecting–or not–Christ.
To Learn More About Euphrasia: Visit the St. Euphrasia Pilgrim Centre site.
To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my books, Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration from Our Sisters in Faith or Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.
