1900 - Anna-Catharina Dierks

July 9, 1900

Taiyuan, Shanxi

Anna-Catharina Dierks. [CRBC]

Born in The Netherlands on March 8, 1866, Anna-Catharina Dierks grew up in extreme poverty after her mother died. Her father was unable to cope with the six children, but friendly neighbours came to the rescue by agreeing to adopt Anna-Catharina and her five siblings. Their new guardians were not wealthy in material things, but they were rich in love. They followed the Lord Jesus Christ and shared the gospel with the children. This resulted in Anna-Catharina having a deep spiritual yearning to know God, and often spent hours in prayer and Bible study.

After completing school, Anna-Catharina felt a responsibility to give back some of the blessings she had received from her adopted parents. She secured a job in a factory and sent all of her wages to them. She then took a position as a maid for a wealthy family. Deep inside, however, she knew that God was calling her to serve him in a special way. She subsequently applied to enter a novitiate. When asked why she wanted such a life, Dierks replied, “I want to suffer for our Lord.”

After receiving the new name Marie Adolphine, she was chosen to go to Taiyuan in China. The seven nuns came from four countries—Italy, France, and Belgium, while Anna-Catharina was the only Dutch woman. After arriving in 1898, Anna-Catharina Dierks “accepted all types of work, humble, heavy or boring, in all circumstances, with no complaints.”[1] On July 9, 1900, she was viciously murdered by the Boxers, along with the other six nuns and the entire leadership of the Catholic Church in Taiyuan.