Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas
Palestinian Christian nun and saint (1843–1927)
Feast: 25 March (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
The Vatican record
- 6 December 2014 — Miracle through their intercession approved (decree list, 2014)
Who they were
Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas was born in Jerusalem on 4 October 1843 to Palestinian Catholic parents devoted to the Rosary. As a young sister she taught religion in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and founded associations for girls and for Christian mothers that still exist.
She co-founded the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, taking vows with eight companions in 1885, and taught in missions across Palestine and Jordan. She died on 25 March 1927 while praying the Rosary with her sisters.
The miracles
Several young people — Holy Land
A group of young people fell into a contaminated well and came out entirely unharmed. Benedict XVI recognised it as a miracle in 2009.
A grown man — Holy Land
A man was electrocuted by a 24,000-volt power line and lost consciousness. He recovered quickly and completely, with no lasting neurological damage, after prayers for her intercession.
Why that counted as sanctity
The case of several young people was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 3 July 2009, opening the way to beatification. The case of a grown man was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 6 December 2014, opening the way to canonisation. Canonisation followed on 17 May 2015 by Francis.
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography of St Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, with both miracles
- Holy See - homily at the canonisation of four Blesseds, 17 May 2015
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — promulgated decrees (causesanti.va), summarised in our own words
- Wikidata Q444239 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.