Within three months of joining the convent, young Alexia was paralyzed and was forced to be in bed for almost a year. With the care of the sisters, she recovered and started a normal life. She made her first religious profession on 30th April, 2000.

While Sr. Alexia was in the peak of her ministries in 2009, she was diagnosed with cancer on her right breast and had undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The oncologist had cautioned about Sr. Alexia having a recurring type of cancer. After a year of recuperation, she started working, as head mistress and hostel warden.

In 2013, she underwent laparoscopic surgery for kidney stones. By the time she was just recovering from the surgery, she was diagnosed with cancer on the left side of her tongue in 2014 and had to undergo another surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In 2015 she was diagnosed with cancer on her left breast and had undergone surgery, radiation and chemotherapy once again.

She gradually recovered, and regained her health and availed herself for different activities. She once again began her enthusiastic life with new hopes and dreams. Even though she was suffering from a deadly disease and undergoing many surgeries with their adverse consequences, Sr. Alexia never looked for special privileges. She, instead, offered herself to help the community in all ways possible. In 2017, she took up the responsibility of the hostel in charge. It was in January, 2019 that she was diagnosed with cancer again on the right side of the tongue. She had the surgery and radiation therapy.

Despite all these surgeries and pain, whenever her health permitted, she was very helpful to everyone and was concerned about the matters of the community and mission. She was able to take only liquid food and her speech was not clear. Even at this period, she served the community cheerfully by whatever work she was able to do, by being in charge of parlour and attending the door bell ringing to welcome visitors. Cancer did not leave Alexia. After 18 months, for the fifth time, she was diagnosed with it in the middle part of her tongue. This time, she was not in favour of surgery and treatment, as there was no guarantee of recovery. Unyielding to the deadly sickness, she continued to lend a helping hand to the sisters in doing the household chores.

Slowly her tongue started decaying, choking her airway. She underwent tracheotomy on 9th November, 2021 as it was the only solution. Ever since, Sr. Alexia was with a tracheal tube for breathing and Ryles tube for feeding. She was given palliative and nursing care by the sisters of her community day and night for the last 5 months. The condition of her health became worse, leaving her with an open wound below her chin on the neck, increasing it day by day. Slowly she lost her hearing power and her eyesight diminished, and her suffering became all the more painful. Alexia passed away on Saturday before Easter and her funeral was on Easter Sunday, 17th April, 2022.

Alexia accepted the recurring sickness, excruciating pain and suffering as the will of God. She was a great devotee of Mother Mary and rosary beads were in her fingers even at the crucial moments of pain and agony. She acknowledged with gratitude the generosity and selfless service of the sisters of her congregation.

Sr. Alexia led a simple and God-centered life throughout her 48 years of life. A gentle and noble soul whom God purified while on earth! The striking aspects of her life were her childlike faith, simplicity, hard work, spirit of sacrifice, availability and above all her identification with the Crucified Lord. The strong faith in God was the motive force and inner strength which helped her to face all sufferings and adversities patiently and positively.

My first meeting with Sr. Alexia was in Caritas hospital campus in Kottayam, Kerala, where she had come to meet her doctor. I was wonderstruck to know that she had already undergone three surgeries and suffered much. What inspired me was her gentle and positive attitude.

As I was interacting with Alexia later on different occasions, I could see her total trust in God's power and positive attitude to everyone. Even when she was paralyzed within three months of joining the convent, she had no fear of being sent home by the sisters in the convent. “I knew in my heart that I would not be sent home. God has chosen me and He will keep me in the convent to serve Him”. This strong faith in God may be the motive force and inner strength which helped her to face all sufferings positively.

She gave a helping hand to sisters in doing the household chores. “Seeing the sufferings of others she used to say that she was willing to take up their sufferings if they could be relieved of theirs,” said one of her community members. Another Sister spoke of her availability to serve others joyfully despite her illness. “She would wait for us to give company when we arrive late from the school for lunch. Indeed, she is very saintly,” was the comment of that sister.      

Sr. Alexia was born in 1974 and brought up in Balalungiri village of Jashpur district in Chhattisgarh. She completed her graduation and teachers’ training. She served in different communities in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.  

When asked about the source of strength which helps her to suffer so much, Sr. Alexia said, “Many people are praying for me and loving me. So, I am sure of receiving God's grace which enables me to face all struggles. As long as God wants, I will go ahead, no matter how painful life may be.”

When I asked her about the religious who often grumble and complain about discomforts she said, “God gives suffering according to one's strength. It is God's grace which makes us graceful.” She always appreciated her sisters, Our Lady of the Garden. “All sisters are very good to me. They give me much love and affection. I have no reason to have any negative feelings,” she said. 

I always believe that God gives his grace to all to be happy and strength to suffer discomforts. Much depends on one's disposition and background to make use of God's grace. The problem is that people fail to count the countless blessings of God. Instead of thanking God for what people have, they complain about what they don't have.

Sister Alexia suffered continuously for 13 years, rather all through the 22 years of her religious life. Despite suffering paralysis for a year and undergoing five surgeries, she was praising and thanking God. She reminds me of saintly Job of the Old Testament who constantly praised God in the midst of countless miseries, “God gave and He has taken away, praise be His name”.

While I reflect on the positive and grateful attitude of Sr. Alexia in the midst of intense suffering and pain I am challenged, and I feel ashamed of my impatience whenever I had to face some minor illness. While I thank God for His countless blessings every day, I am afraid of the thought of falling ill. Meeting Sr. Alexia, seeing her attitude and listening to her reflective insights were very inspiring. They enriched me and helped me to develop a positive attitude to sufferings and crisis in life. When I was admitted to the hospital after testing Covid positive a year ago, thinking about Sr. Alexia and how she was taking her suffering positively helped me to be strong and positive.

People with religiosity spent money and time to visit pilgrim centres and retreat centres hoping for healing and miracles. They are visiting the tombs and shrines of persons who lived many years ago believing in their virtues which were propagated after several years of their death. My visit to Sr. Alexia and listening to her heroic story of suffering enriched me much more than all visits to the pilgrim centres. I found her truly a saint through whom God has manifested His glory. Without any hesitation she could be called St. Alexia.

Unfortunately, people have more faith in saints who died centuries ago than living saints among them and around them whom they can touch and listen to personally. They are taken for granted. They wait for them to die and be canonized by the Pope after a few decades to believe in their sainthood. The world could be converted into a heaven if everyone could recognize God in every human being. Every human being is a living tabernacle, God in flesh and blood. This is the meaning of the Vedic expression, “Aham Brahmasmi'. This realization will make us to revere every one as a saint. This is genuine spirituality, the secret of making families and communities heaven on earth. 

Throughout the sufferings of Alexia, Sisters of her Congregation, Our Lady of the Garden, have left no stone unturned for giving the best treatment and recuperation, including importing medicines. Alexia always acknowledged the generosity and selfless service of her Congregation.