Blessed Rani Maria Vattalil (1954–1995) was an Indian Catholic Franciscan Clarist nun and social worker who was murdered for defending the poor, oppressed villagers in Madhya Pradesh, India. She was stabbed 54 times on a bus on February 25, 1995. She was beatified as a martyr in 2017.
Key Details About Sister Rani Maria:
- Background: Born on January 29, 1954, in Kerala, India, she was baptized as Mariam Vattalil.
- Mission Work: She worked in the Diocese of Indore, focusing on education, social justice, and empowering marginalized communities against local exploiters.
- Martyrdom: She was killed by assassins hired by landlords who opposed her social work.
- Legacy: Known for her profound faith and commitment to the poor, her family famously forgave her killer, Samandar Singh, who later expressed remorse.
Veneration: She was declared “Blessed” on November 4, 2017, in Indore.
The twist in the story- Samundar Singh
Singh was convicted of Vattalil’s murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Vattalil’s sister visited Singh in prison where she expressed her forgiveness on 31 August 2002. Singh was overcome with grief after witnessing such a gesture and begged for forgiveness for what he had done while expressing repentance. Vattalil’s mother visited Singh on 25 February 2003 and kissed his hands as a sign of forgiveness.
Singh was released from prison in 2006 due to good conduct. He was pardoned by Vattalil’s family, and he is considered one of their own. He was moved to tears when he learned of her impending beatification in March 2017 and expressed his enthusiasm for being able to attend the beatification.
Beatification
The diocesan process took place in Indore from 29 June 2005 to 28 June 2007. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints received the Positio (document used in the process by which a Catholic person is declared Venerable – the second of four steps on the path to canonisation as a saint) in 2014 and Pope Francis approved the cause on 23 March 2017 and confirmed that Vattalil would be beatified on 4 November 2017 in Indore.
Media & the Film world
The documentary entitled ‘The Heart of a Murderer’, depicting the murder and subsequent repentance of Samundar Singh, was the winner at the World Interfaith Harmony Film Festival of 2013.
In 2023 a movie named ‘The Face of the Faceless’ was created inspired from her life.
Sr Rani Maria and her family lived a true Catholic life following Christ’s path in every way. Her life is truly inspiring to us especially the Kerala Catholics as she hails from our motherland and she lived in our time- in the 21st century.
A truly motivating testimony for our youth & children.
How many of us could forgive the killer of our daughter and consider that person as a member of our family??? Truly remarkable!!!