Sr. Rani Maria Vattalil (1954-95)was a Catholic religious and missionary in the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, who sacrificed her life for the sake of the poor and the destitute. She was declared to be a Servant of God by Pope John Paul II.
Servant of God Sister Rani Maria Vattalil, FCC, martyr per testimonium caritatis fortis, uti fertur who died at Nachanbore Hill, India on 25 February 1995, of knife wounds inflicted on her by an assailant angry at her efforts to empower the poor in her role as Provincial Councillor of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation with charge of the Department of Social Services of the Diocese of Indore.
She hailed from Kerala and was working as a missionary, in the Diocese of Indore, India. Impelled by the love of God and the love of neighbor, she served the society with prophetic courage to exalt the human dignity. Her love and compassion for the shattered and the broken people found outlet in every conceivable way in social action and community services. Through her courageous sacrifice of life she was sown the seed of love, justice and brotherhood in many hearts.