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Our Patroness, Saint Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia in 1858. The Drexel family was involved in banking and was one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Philadelphia. This wealth gave Katharine the opportunity to receive an excellent education and to travel extensively.
Despite her extraordinary means, she was drawn into a life of voluntary poverty. She devoted most of her life to the poor, and gave away millions of dollars to establish schools, particularly for those in need. Katharine's mother died when she was only five weeks old. It was the influence of her father and stepmother, Emma Bouvier, who planted the seeds of charity. Later on, Katharine helped her stepmother through a terminal illness. This experience affected her deeply and she realized that all the Drexel money could not buy safety from pain or death.
Katharine decided to establish schools particularly for African Americans and American Indians. At Pope Leo XIII's suggestion, she considered entering the religious life. This led her to spend some time with the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, which makes her something of a local saint. Katharine formed the "Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament."
Under her direction, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament opened approximately 60 schools throughout the United States, most notably (in 1915), Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic University in the United States for African Americans. Saint Katharine Drexel was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Her feast day is March 3.
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| St. Katharine Drexel at age 7 |
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| Photographed in the late 1800's |
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"If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them.
Let us open wide our hearts. It is Joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing." St. Katharine Drexel
Photographs are from The Archives of The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
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