St. Katharine Drexel | March 3

St. Katharine Drexel | March 3

With a family like hers, it’s no wonder that St. Katharine Drexel (November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) grew up to become one of the first American-born saints.

Born in Philadelphia in 1858, her mother passed away when she was only five weeks old. Her father, a renowned banker, remarried a wonderful woman, and together they raised St. Katherine Drexel and her two sisters in a life of privilege. Both financially and spiritually well-endowed, the Drexels were devout Catholics and set an excellent example of true Christian servitude with prayer and care for the poor.

After her father’s death, St. Katharine Drexel gave up her inheritance and instead devoted her life to the material and spiritual well-being of black and native Americans. Mother Drexel, as she would become known as, established the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored, and together they opened a boarding school in Santa Fe, the first of 50 missions for Native Americans in 16 states.

At 77, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire from active ministry. She spent the next 20 years of her life in quiet yet intense prayer. She died at the age of 96 and was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.