Our Foundress

Thatipatri Gnanamma was born to Sri. Gali Royanna and Mariamma in the beautiful village of Phirangipuram, Guntur in 1822. Royanna, the Catechist of Phirangipuram was a well-built man with a bright face and was always seen with a rosary in his hand. He practiced what he preached and, In the church he said the prayers and read the readings in a clear, loud voice. His hard work and readiness to help had won him a good reputation among all the villagers. Mariamma, his wife, was a perfect match for him. A mother to all, she helped the needy with compassion and expressed her solidarity with anyone who suffered in some way or other.

The pious couple named their baby girl Gnanamma, which meant “a mother of wisdom ” or a wise mother. Gnanamma imbibed the faith and piety of her parents and her grandmother, who was very fond of her. Every day Gnanamma woke up early in the morning and went to the church with her parents to participate in the daily Mass. Soon she developed a great desire to pray and sing. She observed her Catechist father closely and learnt quite a lot from him. Thanks to her mother’s example and influence, Gnanamma grew into a kind, compassionate and peace-filled young woman. Her mother taught her the value of regular spiritual activities like going to the church early every morning for the Mass, praying the rosary every day with devotion and regular prayer.

The parish priest of Phirangipuram happened to be a deeply spiritual and zealous person. He wanted to nurture the religious faith of the little children of the parish and thereby bring about a transformation in the next generation. Gnanamma felt fortunate to grow under the guidance of such a noble person. Gradually he became her spiritual director, who prepared her for the great mission that God had in mind for her. Gnanamma soon blossomed into a beautiful and confident young woman.

In 1837, young Gnanamma was given in marriage to Innaiah, the catechist of Phirangipuram. This pious couple was blessed with five sons. Innaiah always accompanied the parish priest on his pastoral visits. Soon after the birth of his last son, he went along with his parish priest to Chennai. On his way, he succumbed to an attack of cholera. Left all alone with five boys to bring up, Gnanamma, a widow of 37 years, put her entire trust in Divine Providence and raised her children strong in Christian faith. Her four sons joined religious life. The second son, Peter, settled in family life.