By CAROLE BRESLIN
After the Civil War between the North and the South, there were still many persons who had little respect for non-white people. However, there were those charitable groups who loved all men regardless of their race and practiced the faith by serving the marginalized and less fortunate. The Drexels of the late 19th century — one of the wealthiest families in the United States — were both a devout Catholic and a generous family. Katharine Drexel used her fortune to help those most in need: the African Americans and the Native Americans.
Katharine, born on November 26, 1858 in Philadelphia, was the daughter of Francis Anthony Drexel, a wealthy banker and broker of prestigious investment funds. Hannah Jane, her mother, died only one month after her birth, leaving two daughters behind. Her father then married Emma Bouvier and in 1862 their daughter Louisa was born. Emma was a faithful and very devout Catholic, showering much love on the three girls and personally overseeing their education in their home.
To assist in the girls’ education, they hired two women. Johanna Ryan came from Ireland where she had to leave the Sisters of the Sacred Heart for health reasons. Johanna instilled in the girls a devotion to Jesus by teaching and by example. When the family visited Pope Pius IX in Rome in 1875, she fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around the Pontiff’s legs in honor of the Vicar of Christ.
The second woman, Mary Cassidy, also came from Ireland but was considerably more reserved than Johanna. Mary was chosen not only because of her strong Catholic faith, but also because she had an extensive education in philosophy, literature, and language arts. This prepared Katharine for her vocation and legacy as she became a prolific writer.
This manner of education enabled the family to travel frequently which exposed the girls to many different cultures. Emma proved her abilities in raising virtuous women and good citizens as she practiced generosity and compassion for the poor. Her philanthropy was not for personal recognition but sprang from a sincere desire to help those in need.
These factors helped develop the innate love Katharine had for the Blessed Sacrament. In 1867 she wrote a well-reasoned letter to her mother, begging to receive her First Holy Communion: “You will see how I will try to be good. Let me make it in May, the most beautiful of all the months.”
Emma developed cancer when Katharine was only 14 years old. All the Drexel fortune could do nothing to save Emma. Katharine learned that money had little worth when her stepmother died in 1875.
Although Katharine made her social debut in 1879, socializing held little interest for her. Her zeal lay with the plight of African Americans. Then, after traveling to the western United States and witnessing the terrible plight of the Native Americans, she also vowed to do something for them. In 1884, Katharine began using her vast wealth for both of these groups.
When her father died in 1885, Katharine donated substantial amounts to the missions and missionaries in the United States, especially the St. Francis Mission on the South Dakota Rosebud Reservation.
Meanwhile, Katharine received spiritual direction from Fr. James O’Connor. He lived in Philadelphia, but then was transferred to Nebraska, keeping in contact with Katharine. In her correspondence, she informed Fr. O’Connor of her desire to join a contemplative order. He advised her to wait and pray.
When Mr. Drexel died, he left some of his fortune to various charitable organizations but the vast majority went to his three daughters: $14 million — over $400 million in today’s currency. In 1886 the Drexel sisters went to Rome, and in January 1887, they met Pope Leo XIII. They asked the Pope for missionaries to staff the Indian missions, but he responded by suggesting that Katharine become a missionary herself.
Katharine and her sisters returned to Pennsylvania and she seriously prayed for discernment and then contacted her spiritual director. Although she had received many marriage proposals, she decided to give herself to God’s service. She entered the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Philadelphia and professed her first vows on February 12, 1891. She dedicated herself to the service of the African and Native Americans.
Soon Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament with the help of St. Frances Cabrini. With 13 other women they started a mission in Santa Fe. Back in Bensalem, Pa., the new motherhouse was being built. Challenges came from people in the community that thought the nuns should not be helping “people of color.”
This did not deter Katharine from her work and the construction continued with Archbishop Patrick John Ryan blessing the cornerstone. After a few years she returned to Santa Fe and then traveled all over the country building schools for both the Native Americans and the African Americans. The first university founded for black people was established in New Orleans by Katharine, naming it Xavier University.
She also supported the works of the Order of Friars Minor in Arizona and New Mexico. She paid for the publication of A Navaho-English Catechism of Christian Doctrine for the use by Navaho children.
She continued her tireless efforts, establishing 145 missions, 50 schools for African Americans, and 12 schools for Native Americans.
On March 3, 1955, Mother Katharine Drexel died at the age of 96 in the motherhouse in Bensalem, Pa. March 3 is now her feast day.
Pope St. John Paul II declared her venerable on January 26, 1987, blessed on November 20, 1988, and a saint on October 1, 2000. She was the second American-born saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church. (The first was St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.)
Dear St. Katharine Drexel, how well you understood the importance of eternal rewards and the shortness of temporal goods. Help us to use all of our gifts without reserve to help those most in need that we may build treasures in Heaven. Pray that we will not cling to the goods of this life and that we will truly help all persons regardless of race or creed. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
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