Mother Gnanamma was born in Phirangipuram, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, to devout Catechist Parents, Gali Royanna and Mariamma, in 1819 as a Second Child. Mother’s Father, Gali Royanna, was a Catechist in his Parish. The missionary priests from abroad used the village Catechists’ services to fulfil the people’s spiritual needs and evangelisation work due to the death of local priests. These catechists were called Sons of the Church. The whole family of Mr Gali Royanna was involved in Church work with great zeal—they did this as a full-time ministry.

Since Phirangipuram was a centre of missionary endeavour, Mother Gnanamma could ground herself in spirituality and the knowledge of God by participating in daily holy mass. God’s hand was upon Mother Gnanamma as it was on Jesus, Mother Mary, and the saints who lived grace-filled lives.

Married Life

When Gnanamma reached her 15th year of birth, she married Innaiah, an educated ex-seminarian. She was delighted that her husband was also a Catechist like her father. The pious couple, Innaiah and Gnanamma, was blessed with five sons: Thomas, Marianna, and Royanna alias Peter as he was later called, Rajannah and Showriah as a sign of their committed and joyful married life.

The Widowhood

Innaiah was always a comrade to the Priest, and he accompanied his Parish Priest on his pastoral visits. On one of his visits with his parish priest to Madras to meet most Rev. John Fennelly, the then vicar Apostolic of Madras, a sudden attack of Cholera at Venugunda claimed his life. This holy young man was laid to rest in the same place without his wife and Children nearby as there was no transport facility. The sad news of the death of her husband reached Gnanamma three days later. Thatipathri Gnanamma was only 37 years old then.

Kilachery in the Plan of God

Kilachery was also a backward village in the 19th Century. Women were not considered equal to men. It was traditional practice to deny education to women and involve them in household chores and field work. The Monks of the Institute of Mary Immaculate (ICFT), where Mother Gnanamma’s two sons joined, administered the sacraments and fulfilled the spiritual needs of the people. They were also running a primary school for boys. The sight of boys going to school and the girls to the fields after the school bell rang haunted Mother Gnanamma. It raised many 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 believed that the situation would change one day and the girls would gain dignity.

Education for Women

Mother Gnanamma needed human resources and financial resources to realise this dream. She plunged into action, journeying to her native place, Phirangipuram. After staying there for a few days, she decided to sell off all her properties to start a school for girls. Mother also sold her home to Mr Innareddy and returned to Kilachery. Since Mother had sold everything, she had to stay as an alien in another’s house in her own place. She had become an elucidation to discipleship, renouncing all that she had. She started a boarding house for girls from faraway villages within a month, on 4th June 1863.

Participation of the laity in her mission

The generous service of Gnanamma, the message of the school and the boarding spread far and wide. Malayamma—the mother of Fr. Ratna Nader, Nuthalapati Shanthamma of Porur, Thanneer Marirmma of Phirangipuram and Populamma of Eraiyur were attracted and drawn by the work of Mother Gnanamma and joined in her apostolate and helped her in administering the school and the hostel. Mother Gnanamma went to all the villages of Kilachery Parish in search of children and young girls, brought them to school, and provided them with education. Mother provided secular education for poor girls and took an interest in their spiritual well-being.

As a result of her religious instruction, many were baptised with Mother as their godmother. Kilachery parish records show that she was the godmother to 37 children, the last of whom was Annamma.

The Congregation of St. Anne

Mother had become a ray of hope among the people as the school flourished day by day through its enrollment. The children excelled in academics, discipline and spirituality. Noteworthy among them were Gundapu Mariamma, Illur Agathamma and Arulamma. They perceived Mother Gnanamma as their model in letter and spirit. Both Agathamma and Arulamma wished to continue the mission of Mother Gnanamma and expressed their desire for religious vows to Mother. Mother hoped that the mission she had started would be continued forever. Rev. Fr. Arokia Nader, the then parish priest, was the spiritual guide of Mother Gnanamma. He advised Mother Gnanamma in the founding of the Congregation. He helped Mother prepare Arulamma and Agathamma for the religious way of life through training.

Fr. Arokia Nader, Mother Gnanamma’s trusted advisor and spiritual director, was transferred to Bellary as the assistant Vicar of St. Lazarus Church. Mother decided to send the two postulants to Bellary on 7th August 1873 to be trained under the European sisters of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd in the Novitiate of the Congregation of St. Anne of Bangalore at the advice of Fr. Arokia Nader obtaining permission from His Lordship, Dr Stephen Fennelly, Apostolic Vicar of Madras. Arullamma and Agathamma began their
Novitiate formation on 4th February 1874, taking the names Angela and Philomena. Mother Gnanamma’s joy knew no bounds when she saw them in religious attire when she visited Bellary to see them. The two Novices took their first vows on 4th October 1874 on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

This is the first chapter in the history of the Congregation of St. Anne. It was the first Congregation founded for women in the Arch Diocese of Madras-Mylapore. Immediately after their arrival, Sr. Angela was appointed by His Lordship, Dr. Stephen Fennelly, as the first Superior. The Nuns followed the rules and regulations of the St. Anne’s convent at Bellary for some time.

Mother Gnanamma’s health began to deteriorate steadily after her return from Bellary. Her interminable hard work, 20 years of Asthma and tedious journeys had destabilised her health to a great extent. She never felt discouraged or worried that her end was drawing near and she had to leave the 3-month-old Congregation. Instead, she believed that the Congregation would continue its mission. She called all her spiritual daughters around her and gave them her final directives:

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 love of God into love of fellow human beings!
Do not be dependent on the government or others financially!
May your hard work be your protection and strength!

Mother received the last sacraments while fully using her faculties at the hands of Fr. Ratna Nader and went to her eternal reward at 11.00 p.m. on 21st December 1874 in the 55th year of her age. She was buried the following day in the parish cemetery.

Among those two professed Nuns, Sr. Philomena reached her eternal abode on 15th November 1875, and Sr. Angela breathed her last on 4th March 1876. Since both the Sisters died within two years of the birth of the Congregation, the responsibility of administering the school and boarding fell on the shoulders of a 13-year Novice. This Novice, Joseph, was the only member of the Congregation for some time.

Inspired by the spirit of Mother Gnanamma’s trust in the providence of God and hard work, she took the Congregation forward admirably. The country had a famine in 1877, and children were the most affected. More than 200 children were brought under the care of Sr. Joseph. The people of Phirangipuram, the native place of Mother Gnanamma, who heard about the good works of Novice Ignatius and Sr. Joseph during the famine with outstanding commitment and sacrifice, wanted them to establish a convent and provide education in their place.

Mother Joseph wanted to open a branch house in the holy soil of Mother Gnanamma. So the Sisters began their ministry in the first house on 13th October 1882 with the help of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Dickman, and the blessing of Archbishop Colgan. The school for girls was also established subsequently. It was the first school for girls in Phirangipuram.

Many young girls from Phirangipuram wanted to join religious life and work for God. The religious training was given to them in Kilachery. The number of sisters began to increase. Since the girls faced language issues due to the formation training in Chennai and the travel distance from Andhra to Chennai, Mother Joseph decided to make the Phirangipuram branch house to function as a separate Congregation under the leadership of Mother Maria Rose. This was not a division but a healthy growth—an extension of the mission due to cultural needs.

The seed that Mother Gnanamma sowed thus blossomed into two Congregations: St. Anne of Chennai and St. Anne of Phirangipuram. More than 1300 sisters from both the Congregations continue their education, health, evangelisation and social work ministries with tremendous zeal in India and abroad.