She was born as Annakkutty (little Anna) in Kudamaloor, a village in the princely state of Travancore which was under the British Raj (now present day Kottayam district, Kerala, India) to Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu in 1910. She was baptised on 27 August 1910 at Saint Mary’s Church in Kudamaloor under the patronage of Saint Anna. Anna’s mother died when she was young, so her maternal aunt raised her. She had her schooling in Arpookara and Muttuchira. An accident in 1923 left her permanently disabled. She joined the Poor Clares in Bharananganam in 1927 and took the name Alphonsa. She made her final profession on 12 Aug 1936. Her life was one of suffering. She died on 28 July 1946, aged 35. She was buried at Bharananganam Travancore (present day Kerala) in the Diocese of Palai. She was canonised by John Paul II in 1999. – Catholic Online