03/03/2026
Today, March 3rd, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Katharine Drexel
St. Katharine Drexel
November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955
St. Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia on November 26, 1858. She was the second daughter of Philadelphia banker and philanthropist Francis Anthony Drexel and his first wife, Hannah Langstroth. Francis and Hannah had one other daughter, Elizabeth who was the eldest of the two daughters. Hannah died when Katharine was only five weeks old. Francis was deeply saddened by the loss of Hannah and for the following two years after her death, Elizabeth and Katharine lived with their aunt and uncle. Francis Drexel later married Emma Bouvier, and Elizabeth and Katharine joined them as a family. To this marriage between Francis and Emma, a third daughter, Louise, was born in 1863. The children grew up in a very loving family atmosphere permeated by a very deep faith. By word and example, Francis and Emma taught their daughters that the wealth that God had entrusted to them was meant to be shared with those in need. Three afternoons a week Emma opened the doors of their home to serve the needs of the poor. When the girls were old enough, they assisted their mother with this ministry.
As a young woman, Katharine visited the Southwest with her family. On these trips, she witnessed destitution, poverty and a lack of education among the American Indians. This experience inspired her to help alleviate their condition, and in 1887 she established her first school, St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In 1887 Katharine and her two sisters travelled to Rome, and had the opportunity to have a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. Kneeling at his feet, Katharine asked for a missionary priest to be sent to assist the American Indians. The Pope responded: "Why not, my child, become a missionary yourself?" Katharine had pondered the possibility of becoming a contemplative religious, devoting her life to prayer and giving her wealth to the support of the missions. This suggestion made by Pope Leo XXIII was at first disturbing to Katharine as this was not the contemplative life to which she felt inclined.
After prayer and discernment, and consultation with her spiritual adviser, Katharine Drexel entered the Sisters of Mercy, in Pittsburg, PA where she received her religious formation. Then on February 12, 1891, in an arrangement with Archbishop James O'Connor, Katharine Drexel established a religious order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People to address social injustice, provide quality education, and spread the Gospel to the Native Americans and African Americans. From the age of 33 until her death at the age of 96, St. Katharine Drexel gave a total gift of herself to her ministry. She distributed her inheritance of $20 million to meet the needs of the Native and African Americans and was a vocal advocate for racial tolerance.
St. Katharine Drexel felt a universal need for education, especially among Native Americans and African Americans, so she financed more than 60 missions and schools around the United States. In 1915, she established Xavier Preparatory School, and in 1925, Xavier University in New Orleans. Today, Xavier University retains its distinction as the only historically Black, Catholic University in the United States.
In 1935, St. Katharine Drexel suffered a severe heart attack, and for the next twenty years, she lived a contemplative life in retirement. She died on March 3, 1955, at the age of 96 at St. Elizabeth Convent in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. At the time of her death, there were more than 500 Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament teaching in 63 schools throughout the United States.
Sainthood
Katharine was beatified on November 20, 1988. She was canonized by Saint John Paul II on October 1, 2000, and became the second recognized American-born saint.
St. Katharine Drexel leaves a fourfold legacy:
1. A love of the Holy Eucharist and her perspective on the unity of all peoples.
2. Courage and initiative in addressing social inequality among minorities.
3. Her efforts to achieve quality education for all.
4. Her selfless service, including the donation of her inheritance, for the victims of injustice.
She is known as the Patron Saint of racial justice and as a philanthropist.
Her feast day is celebrated on March 3, the anniversary of her death. She is entombed at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, PA
