Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu is a Catholic Saint, the first person of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church and the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community. Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, was born in Arpookara Village Archdiocese of Changanassery. She had a poor, difficult childhood and experienced loss and suffering early on in life. She joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and through them, completed schooling and made her permanent vows in 1936. She taught school for years but was plagued by illness. She died on 28 July 1946, aged 35. She is buried at Bharananganam, Travancore (present day Kerala) in the Diocese of Palai.