Saint Chavara, Saint Euphrasia personified Christian commitment to help the needy: Heptullah

Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah on Tuesday said Indian Christians are committed to serving humanity and reaching out to the needy, and added that Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia were amongst the 'finest' human beings from that community.

"It is important for all of us to remember that the central message of [Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia] was 'serving humanity is best way to serve god'. Indian Christians personify this noble idea," Heptullah said at a function organized to celebrate the canonization of Saint Euphrasia and Saint Chavara in New Delhi.

"Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia were amongst the finest human beings Indian Christianity has produced. Their lives truly personified the Christian commitment of reaching out to the needy," she added.

She said Saint Chavara was committed towards emancipating human lives spiritually and materially.

"Saint Chavara Kuriacose was a man of god as much as he was of humanity. His primary concern was of emancipating human lives spiritually as well as materially. In education he saw the most effective tool for material emancipation. The education that he visualised was truly secular so that people of all creeds and class could benefit from that," she said.

She further said that Mother Euphrasia recognized the power of prayer and used it as an instrument to reach out to people.

"Mother Euphrasia was a truly spiritual person. She recognized the power of prayer very early in life and her life itself was saintly. It was through the instrument of prayer that she reached out to the community's need," she said.

Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia had been canonized by Pope Francis at St Peter's Square in the Vatican City on November 24.