Saint Mariam Thresia
Founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family in Kerala, who served the poor and the sick
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Founder, Religious, Mystic
- Life
- 1876 – 1926
- Era
- 20th century
- Feast
- 8 June
- Countries
- India
Life story
She was born on 26 April 1876 at Puthenchira in Kerala, in the Syro-Malabar Church, and was named Thresia. Her father was Thoma Chiramel Mankidiyan and her mother was Thanda. Her mother died while she was still young. She grew up in a devout household, loved prayer, and from an early age wished to remain unmarried and give herself to God. Her biographies say she received very little formal schooling.
From her youth she took guidance from a confessor and spent much time caring for the poor, the sick and the dying in her village. With a few companions she formed a small community, and in 1914 she laid the foundation of the Congregation of the Holy Family at Kuzhikattussery. The congregation went on to open schools, orphanages and centres for the poor. According to sources used in her cause, she also reported mystical experiences and bodily sufferings, which the Church examined very cautiously.
She died at Kuzhikattussery on 8 June 1926, aged fifty, after an illness. She was beatified in 2000, and on 13 October 2019 Pope Francis canonised her together with four others. The Congregation of the Holy Family continues its work in India and several other countries, in education and social care.
The congregation she founded later spread to several dioceses in Kerala and beyond. In her last years she continued to oversee the building of its houses and to care for the new sisters who joined. The place where she died is now a pilgrimage site, and her tomb lies in the church at Puthenchira.
Works and witness
- Born in 1876 at Puthenchira, Kerala, in the Syro-Malabar Church
- Cared for the poor, the sick and the dying in her village
- Founded the Congregation of the Holy Family at Kuzhikattussery in 1914
- Her congregation opened schools and orphanages; canonised in 2019
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Congregation of the Holy Family – historical materials
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.