Saint’s icon attracts pilgrims in Kerala

The icon became all the more holy for the believers after Pope John Paul II was declared a saint last year. 

Bharananganam: 

An icon of a saint blessed by another saint has become the cynosure of eyes at the Forane church at Bharananganam in Kerala.
Pope Saint John Paul II blessed the icon of St Alphonsa at a function in Kottayam district to beatify the nun and Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara on February 8, 1986.
Pilgrims seeking blessings at the tomb of St Alphonsa make it a point to visit the Forane church, which houses the only icon of St Alphonsa in India to be blessed by a Pope.
The icon became all the more holy for the believers after Pope John Paul II was declared a saint last year.
The believers are seen submitting themselves before St Alphonsa’s icon on special days. This icon is taken out during the candle-lit procession on July 27. The procession starts from the church and goes through the room in the monastery where the nun lived and then the church that houses the tomb. The icon is also taken out in procession on the main feast on July 28.
The icon will be put back for worshipping after the feast is over.
Source: manoramaonline