Catholic priest, nun from Kerala declared saints by the Vatican (Update:Catholic)

Father Kuriakose Chavara and Sister Euphrasia were declared saints by Pope Francis at a special mass at St Peter's Square at Vatican on Sunday.

Special prayers and masses were held across Kerala today ahead of the pronouncement.

Sister Euphrasia, who was born in 1877 at Katoor in Thrissur district to a rich family, was known as Rose before she became a nun.

She joined the religious order of Congregation of Mother Carmel and became a nun in 1898 and took the name Euphrasia.

She died at the age of 75 in 1952 and was buried at Ollur. Several miracles were reported from the faithful through the heavenly intercession of Euphrasia.

Father Chavara, on the other hand, is known as a social reformer and visionary priest and was declared as blessed in 1986 along with sister Alphonsa, who has already been declared a saint in 2008.

He was born in 1805 at Kainakari in Alappuzha district. After religious studies, he was ordained as a priest in 1829.

Since then, Chavara had continuous interventions in religious and intellectual realms of life until his death in 1871.