Rev. Fr. Theodrore Dieckmann, M.H.M

Our Co-founder

A German National, Fr. Theodore Dieckmann, M. H. M. was born in September, 1846 at Kirchellen in the Diocese of Munaler. His parents were Henry Dieckmann and Angela Bankhold. Ordinary parents with seven children, they were devout people and spread devotion in the passion of Jesus.

Although faced with many hardships in his early days, his devotion to the church was strong and evident. In spite of being very poor himself, he was in the habit of giving the few clothes he had to students who were poorer than himself, fulfilling as it were the words of Christ “Let him who has two coats give one to the one who has none!”(Lk 3:11)

Our Spiritual Father

With the help of a shoemaker from his village, Theodore entered the St. Joseph’s Society, Mill Hill, London in 1872. He became a sub deacon and was ordained a Deacon in 1873. He left his home and country for the Indian Missions and reached Madras in March, 1875 from where he moved to Phirangipuram and had a lasting impact on the mission. He was a man committed to his vocation and his linguistic abilities and skills as a communicator helped him in articulating things. He was a great Inspirator and supporter of Mother Joseph Pagadala in her work at Phirangipuram. Fr. Theodore Dieckmann M. H. M. was the Parish Priest at Phirangipuram from 1875 to 1913 and was the Director f ST. Anne’s Convent for 31 years from 1882 to 1913. His love and concern were so great that the Congregation of Sisters of St. Anne loved to call him the ‘Co-Founder’ of the Congregation.

Fr. Theodore Dieckmann’s care, interest, foresight and devotion enabled the Sisters to live their consecrated life with genuine commitment and dedication. He helped with the establishment , the progress and the stabilization of the Congregation by recruiting local vocations to be trained on the spot at Phirangipuram and by providing secular education to the Sisters in order to make the apostolate more effective. He died at the age of 73 in July 1913, and was buried in front of the altar in the Cathedral Church at Phirangipuram.

Fr. Theodore Dieckmann M.H.M was known in Guntur district as ‘Pedda Swamy’. During his stay at Phirangipuram, he built the Infant Jesus Cathedral, the present church as well as the Mount Carmel Chapel. He shared Mother Joseph’s ideals and helped her in every way possible, especially in the establishment of the Convent at Phirangipuram in 1897.