India: Mother Eliswa Vakayil Declared Blessed; Thousands Attend Ceremony Led by Cardinal Sebastian Francis

The Archdiocese of Verapoly rejoiced on Nov 8 as scores of faithful gathered at the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom in Vallarpadom, Kochi, to witness the beatification of Mother Eliswa Vakayil, the foundress of the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC) and the first indigenous woman religious congregation in Kerala. 

The solemn Mass, held in the evening, was presided over by Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang, Malaysia, who delivered a moving homily tracing the faith, struggles, and enduring spiritual legacy of the newly beatified Blessed Eliswa. 

“Today, the Church celebrates with great joy and gratitude not only her heroic virtues but her simplicity and radical witnessing through her God-centered lifestyle,” Cardinal Sebastian said, describing Mother Eliswa as a woman who “remained faithful to God to the very end, with graceful fortitude.” 

Two years ago, on November 8, 2023, the Vatican officially declared Mother Eliswa Venerable. Her beatification today marks the next major step toward sainthood, following the Vatican’s recognition of a miraculous healing attributed to her intercession, the miracle in the womb. 

In 2005, a baby girl in Ernakulam, diagnosed with a cleft lip at 34 weeks of pregnancy, was healed in the womb after prayers seeking Mother Eliswa’s intercession, baffling doctors and inspiring countless faithful. 

“Now, Mother Eliswa is a step closer to sainthood,” Cardinal Sebastian said. “As we praise and thank God for the first miracle, I invite you to pray for a second miracle to take place. We look forward to her canonisation in God’s time.”

A Visionary of Synodality and Inclusion 

Cardinal Sebastian described Blessed Eliswa as “a pioneer of inclusion and a woman ahead of her time,” noting her openness to collaboration between different rites as a living example of synodality in action, “walking together in communion.” 

He said her commitment to education, the empowerment of women, and care for the poor made her “a beacon of hope not just for the Carmelite family, but for all humanity.”

“In a world faced with moral confusion, spiritual hunger, gender inequality, and familial breakdown,” he said, “Mother Eliswa teaches us that the choice to become a saint will not be easy,  but it will be worth it.” 

A Legacy That Endures 

As the faithful cheered the moment when Mother Eliswa was officially proclaimed Blessed, the basilica resounded with hymns of thanksgiving and applause. Her tomb at Varapuzha, which Cardinal Sebastian visited ahead of the ceremony, has long been a site of pilgrimage and prayer. 

“Her tomb has become a place where people of all backgrounds come to seek her intercession,” he said. “And now, she intercedes for us from heaven as Blessed Eliswa, a beacon of hope, a spiritual mother, and a saint for our times.”

The ceremony marked a historic day for the global Carmelite family, the Archdiocese of Verapoly, and the Indian Church, with clergy, religious sisters, and pilgrims from across Asia attending the celebration. 

“Today, with immense joy and gratitude, we rejoice,” Cardinal Sebastian concluded. “We rejoice with all consecrated women, all mothers, and all those who suffer in silence yet still choose to love. Blessed Eliswa, pray for us.”