BIOGRAPHY
Thatipatri Gnanamma Innaiah
1819 – 1874
We had read the adage, “Let your death be history even if your birth was a curse.” People who walk seeing the footsteps are ordinary, But people who leave their footprints on the sand are great”. Selfish people are only ordinary men and women. We categorise People who live for God and others as saints into three groups. We find more people in the first two categories. But the third category has risen in human history as a rare species once in a blue moon.
When we record the history of great people, it has the potential and power to transmit from generation to generation. These people who never live for themselves can’t be erased from history and leave a legacy of a life lived for others. This can lay a foundation for a powerful and transformed society.
A laywoman, Thatipathri Gnanamma, founded the Congregation of Sisters of St. Anne-Madras. She was born in 1819 at Phirangipuram in Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh, India, as the second child of Gali Rayanna and Mariamma, a pious and devout couple. Gnanamma, as a little child, received religious instruction from her father and her only brother, Showraiyya.
Her mother’smother’s exemplary guidance fashioned her into a reputed character. Gnanamma was profoundly prayerful and grew to become a pure, humble, and simple young girl embedded with the virtues of charity, piety, generosity, sacrifice, and hard work, the rich values practiced by her parents. In 1837, young Gnanamma was given in marriage to Innaiah, the then Catechist of Phirangipuram. The pious couple Innaiah and Gnanamma were blessed with five sons, and curiously, they had no daughters, for providence had reserved thousands of girls to be adopted by Gnanamma in the later days.
Widowhood came as a storm in her life at age 37, after 20 years of contented married life with her beloved husband. Gnanamma was quietly relishing the happiness of seeing her sons embrace Priesthood. Having accomplished her God-given responsibilities, the heart and mind of Gnanamma were indeed attuned to a quiet life of prayer, faith, and devotion.
Gnanamma came in touch with Dom John Fennelly, the then Archbishop of Madras, who had visited Phirangipuram. This parish was under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Madras. Perhaps under his inspiration, the young widow decided to visit Kilachery, where her sons were at the Seminary.
Kilachery in the Plan of God
Kilachery was also a backward village in the 19th Century. Women were not considered equal to men. Denial of education to women and involving them in household chores and fieldwork were traditional practices. They could not think that they too could study, get involved in other works, and never dared to speak against the tradition. It was a time when there was no possibility for a change of idealogy. But God destined Mother Gnanamma to be an agent of Change in that society.
The Monks of the Institute of Mary Immaculate (ICFT), where Mother Gnanamma’s two sons joined, were administering the Sacraments and Spiritual needs of the People. They were also running a primary school for boys. The Scene of the boys going to school and the girls going to the fields after the school bell haunted Mother Gnanamma. It raised a lot of questions in her mind: “Should this situation continue? Are not the Girl Children also the creation of God? Won’t God come down to give them Justice? These became her contemplation and prayer. Mother found an answer that the situation would change one day, and the girls would have their dignity restored.
The message reached swiftly in and around Kilachery. Though it was a boon to some, it caused bewilderment for many. People who realized the goodness and Spiritual caliber of Mother Gnanamma came forward to admit their children to school. Unstoppable, Mother went around Eraiyur, Illur, Sellampattadai, and Porur and brought the children to school. She decided to start boarding school to house girls from faraway villages, and she started it a month later on 04.06.1863.
The excellent and generous service of Gnanamma for girls spread far and wide like the Good News. Many were attracted and drawn to her apostolate. Two young women, Arulamma and Agathamma, were so inspired by Gnanamma that they joined her in her work with total commitment. In 1871, they requested Gnanamma that they be allowed to join her in continuing the great work started by her. Gnanamma was overjoyed at their request, and she happily conceded to it. This was the seed sown for two future religious congregations for women initiated by Gnanamma.
Gnanamma was convinced and anxious to ensure her work continued after her death. Hence, the request of Arulamma and Agathamma came as a leading light to her heart, and she took it as a sign sent by God. She discussed their joining the Novitiate with Fr. Arokianadher, the former Parish Priest of Kilachery. She trained them under the Sisters of the Congregation of Good Shepherd at St. Anne’s Novitiate, Bellary.
Gnanamma’s hard work and long and tedious journeys had undermined her health to a great extent, and the chronic asthma she was suffering from for 20 years became worse. Feeling that her end was drawing near, she called all her spiritual daughters and gave them her last instructions. She received the final sacraments in full consciousness at the hands of Fr. Ratnanadher, the then Parish Priest of Kilachery. She went to her eternal reward at 11.00 pm on 21st December 1874, the 55th year of her age. Rev. Fr. J. M. Leroux officiated the funeral, and she was buried in the parish cemetery at Kilachery.
Mother’s final message from her deathbed:
“My beloved children! Be obedient to those who are responsible for you!
Listen to your spiritual guides!
Besides giving academic and religious education to girls,
be the protection and solace of women!
Learn to live as women of service!
Translate the love of God into the love of fellow human beings!
Do not be dependent on the government or others financially!
May your hard work be your protection and strength!”
After her demise, two Congregations came into existence, one in her birthplace and another where she died. Thus, she is the Foundress of two different Congregations, namely St. Anne’s of Madras and St. Anne’s of Phirangipuram. Rev. Sr. Leema Rosario, the then Superior General of the Congregation of St. Anne Madras and the petitioner for the Cause of Beatification of Thatipathri Gnanamma Innaiah appointed the Postulator and Vice-Postulator then submitted the document to Most Rev Dr. George Antonysamy, the Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore on 21.09.2013 to obtain the necessary nihil obstat from the Congregation for the Cause of Saints and eventually appoint a Board of Inquiry. After examining the petition and consulting the competent congregations at Vatican City, the Holy See declared Thatipathri Gnanamma Innaiah as Servant of God on 21.01.2014. The Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore has thereby initiated the cause of the sainthood of the Servant of God, Thatipathri Gnanamma Innaiah, under the Presidentship of Most Rev Dr. George Antonysamy, the Archbishop of Madras–Mylapore.
The commission appointed by the Archbishop, such as Episcopal Delegate, Promotor of Justice, Notary, Translator, Copyist, Historical Commission, and Theological Censors, faithfully followed and accomplished the given task in their capacity by fulfilling all the norms and directives of the Vatican.
Faithfully followed and accomplished the given task in their capacity by fulfilling all the norms and directives of the Vatican. They visited many archives, libraries, parishes, historical places, and different people in connection to the cause of beatification and canonisation and gathered required data, documents, and written scripts, interviewed other people, recorded audio and video, making short films in connection with Mother Gnanamma’s life, conducted inquiries, gathered convictions from witnesses, write-ups and especially met the descendants of Mother Gnanamma and other necessary documents and findings.
Great is their commitment and deep involvement in accomplishing this task, which is quite immense. May God bless them all.
Let us continue to pray for this noble cause. Joyously, we await the day for the Servant of God, Thatipathri Gnanamma, to be elevated to the status of ‘Venerable’ by Pope Francis.