Mariam Thresia Chiramel
20th‑century Indian Syro‑Malabar nun and foundress, Catholic saint, known for stigmata and family apostolate
Feast: 8 June (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
The Vatican record
- 12 February 2019 — Miracle through their intercession approved (decree list, 2019)
Who they were
Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan was born on 26 April 1876 at Puthenchira in Kerala, India, the third of five children of a well-known Catholic family of the Syro-Malabar Church. From childhood she fasted, prayed the Rosary and did penance, and sought Christ among the poorest and most forgotten.
On 14 May 1914 her small community was raised to the Congregation of the Holy Family, and she took the name Mariam Thresia. People of every class came to her with their troubles, trusting in her prayer. She died on 8 June 1926, aged 50, of an injury to her leg made fatal by diabetes.
The miracles
A child with club feet — Kerala, India — 1970–1971
A child born with club feet was healed, in two stages, on 21 August 1970 and 28 August 1971. The Vatican's medical board found the healing unanimously inexplicable on 16 November 1999.
A premature baby boy — Perincherry, Kerala, India — April 2009
A moderately premature baby boy, born by caesarean section on 7 April 2009, had severe breathing failure. He recovered. The case was hard fought: the Vatican's medical board voted only four to three in favour in 2016, then, after new documents, unanimously, seven votes out of seven, on 22 March 2018.
She is especially invoked by couples who long for children.
Why that counted as sanctity
The case of a child with club feet was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle, opening the way to beatification. Beatification followed on 9 April 2000 by John Paul II. The case of a premature baby boy was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 12 February 2019, opening the way to canonisation. Canonisation followed on 13 October 2019 by Francis.
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography of St Mariam Thresia, with both miracles
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — promulgated decrees (causesanti.va), summarised in our own words
- Wikidata Q434424 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Mariam Thresia Chiramel (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.