Rani Maria Vattalil, FCC, was an Indian Catholic religious sister and social worker in the Franciscan Clarists who worked in the Diocese of Indore. Vattalil, a Syro-Malabar Eastern Catholic, dedicated herself to catechetical formation and educational instruction in different areas of the region. She was vocal in matters of social justice, which led to her murder by those opposed to her aid of the poor. She was Beatified in Indore on 4 November 2017.
Mariam Vattalil was born in Kerala on 29 January 1954. Vattalil joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation at Kidangoor after completing her secondary school and assumed the religious name of ‘Rani Maria’. Her first profession was made on 1 May 1974. She had served as a teacher during the period. She made her final profession of vows in May 1980 at Angamaly in the church of Saint Hormis. Around 1992, she received a sociology degree from the Rewa University. Rani Maria was later transferred to Udayanagar in May 1992.
Rani Maria was murdered in a knife attack by hitman Samandar Singh at Nachanbore Hill in Indore on 25 February 1995 while she made her way to Indore in a bus; she had 40 major injuries, besides 14 bruises. The murder was arranged because some landlords were offended due to her work among the landless poor. When the Sisters and Police arrived at the scene, Rani Maria’s remains were still on the side of the road.
Samundar Singh was convicted of Rani Maria's murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Singh was released from prison in 2006 due to good conduct. He was pardoned by Rani Maria's family, and her family considered him one of their own. He was moved to tears when he learned of Rani Maria’s impending Beatification in March 2017 and expressed his enthusiasm for being able to attend the Beatification.
The diocesan process of Beatification took place in Indore between 2005 and 2007. Pope Francis approved and confirmed that Rani Maria would be beatified in 2017 in Indore.
*Collected from the public domain
*Updated on 02/06/2025
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