The Saints: St. Katharine Drexel

1858-1955 / Feast - March 3

Katharine grew up in a rich banking family that attended Mass and prayed together daily. Their home was open to Philadelphia’s poor three days a week. Drawn to the plight of American Indians, Katharine visited the Dakotas and saw their poverty firsthand. She began a congregation dedicated to the missionary work among American Indians and African-Americans; she and 13 others took vows in 1891 as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Mother Drexel established 145 Catholic missions and 12 schools for Indians and 50 for African-Americans.