Kochi : A significant moment in the history of the Kerala Church will take place on November 8, when Mother Eliswa, the first nun from Kerala, will be declared Blessed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom in Vallarpadam. The ceremony, organized by the Archdiocese of Verapoly, will begin at 4 pm.

Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang in Malaysia, will represent Pope Francis at the event and officially announce the beatification. Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil of Verapoly will lead the Eucharistic celebration and make the formal request for Mother Eliswa to be declared Blessed.

During the ceremony, Cardinal Oswald Gracias will unveil the devotional image of Blessed Mother Eliswa. The Apostolic Nuncio to India, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, is also expected to deliver a message from the Vatican.

The event will begin with a procession at the basilica, featuring the arrival of Mother Eliswa’s portrait, logo, and a symbolic torch. The celebrations will conclude with a musical presentation based on her life story titled “Eliswacharitham Ganashilpam.”

Mother Eliswa, born in 1831, founded the Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites, the first indigenous congregation for women in India. She was a pioneer in education and social service, establishing Kerala’s first convent school, boarding house, and orphanage for girls.

With her beatification, the Catholic Church recognizes her as Blessed, allowing public veneration in the local church and in the communities she founded. One more confirmed miracle attributed to her intercession will be required for her to be declared a saint in the future.

The faithful from across Kerala are expected to gather at Vallarpadam to witness this important and sacred event in the history of the Indian Church.