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REMEMBERING DIEMUT RABE

REMEMBERING DIEMUT RABE

                                                     Fr. Joy Paul Manjaly

Mrs. Diemut Rabe, a well-wisher of our Province and the Congregation was called to eternal reward on Thursday, 5 January 2023.

She was born in Ravensburg, Germany on 12 July 1943. She has a sister and a brother. After completing her High School, she studied as a foreign language correspondent and stenographer. After the studies, she worked in the same competence for a while. Later, she got a job in the Foreign Ministry of Indian Embassy in Bonn Germany. She continued her job there as secretary to the Attorney as translator of foreign languages till her marriage with Wilfried  Rabe, who had a high ranking position in the Ministry of Agriculture. The marriage remained without children. After the death of her husband Wilfried, she joined the Third Order of Franciscans. She practised the Franciscan spirituality.

In the year 2003, I came to the parish Christ-König in Bonn where she lived. A few days after my coming to the parish, she came to me and offered to help me in German language. My friendship with her grew from that day onwards. I went to her at least once a week to read out liturgical texts and my sermon. She began to show great interest in our Congregation. That is how Diemut came with me to India for the first time in 2005. She visited almost all the mission stations of our Province, even though it was very strenuous and difficult for her. Thereafter, she came to Kerala yearly for 15 years for the Ayurveda treatment in the Amala Hospital. Each time when she was there, she had many visitors all through the day and sometimes till late evening. She was very generous to all these visitors and they naturally waited for her visit in the following year too. Her “Tea Time” was famous in Amala. When tea/coffee was brought from the canteen to the patients, people in the floor including the staff came to her and she paid for all.

Diemut was a multiple talented person. She could sing well and was for a long time in the Church Choir. She played the  musical instruments piano and violin. She was well-read. She knew many foreign languages and was well-versed in English, Italian, and French and of course in her mother tongue German.

As said, I went to her for my “tuition classes” at least once a week and even after my leaving the parish I made use of her knowledge. Many are the Fathers and Sisters, who have profited from her. Some Sisters at the beginning stages, stayed with her to learn the language. Sometimes, the teacher was more ardent than the students. When our Fathers visited me, I entrusted them to her. She would willingly take care of them and show the places.

Diemut led a very austere life, especially after the death of her husband. She sold many of her belongings to finance the Franciscan Congregation. And after she came to know me, her whole attention turned to St. Paul Province and the CMI Congregation. Her love to the CMI Congregation and to its Founder St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara was beyond words.

The booklet on St. Chavara and the CMI Congregation, published by our Province was translated by her to German. and published at her expense.

In every thought and action, her heart throbbed with love for our Congregation. She saved every penny of her for others. She bought second hand clothes for her personal use, sold her belongings to help others and led a simple life.

Since last two years, she was bed-ridden. Gradually, she lost her energy. I used to visit her regularly. About a month before her death, I visited her. Though she could not talk, she was pleased to see and hear me with a smiling face despite the pain she had.

The burial Mass will be on Monday, 31 January in her parish church Holzlar and on the same day she will be buried. 

We can describe Diemutas a simple and a pious lady with a lot of compassion and grace. She generously shared with others all her material and spiritual treasures. She lived a saintly life with her human short-comings. She rests eternally, no doubt, in the bosom of the heavenly Father.

Adieu Diemut