Some 30,000 Indian Catholics, including three cardinals, joined a Mass and public function to give thanks for the life and work of newly canonized St Mariam Thresia at her tomb in a Kerala village on Nov. 16.

The Kerala-born nun was canonized in the Vatican on Oct. 13 along with British Cardinal Henry Newman, Swiss laywoman Marguerite Bays, Brazilian nun Dulce Lopes and Italian nun GiuseppinaVannini.

Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, led the Mass of national celebration along with Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, president of the Indian bishops’ conference, and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, major arch-bishop of the Syro-Malankara Church. More than 30 bishops and about 600 priests and nuns joined the national celebration in Kuzhikkattussery village, which houses the nun’s tomb. The area now comes under Irinjalakuada Diocese of the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church.