Saint Katharine Drexel Story

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Saint Katharine Drexel Story

• November 26, 1858 March 3, 1955

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The story begins in Dornbirn Austria April 1, 1792
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Self Portrait Francis Catherine - Mary
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Family Fortune

• Francis Martin Drexel was a portrait artist, born
  in Dornbirn, Austria
• Immigrated to America in 1817
• Started a currency brokerage business 1837
• 1847 opened Drexel Sons
• Francis A. Drexel, age 29 becomes President of
  the Company, which became one of the leading
  banks in America

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Katharines Father
Francis Anthony Drexel March 4, 1824 February
29, 1885
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Katharines Mother
Hannah Langstroth Drexel January 14, 1826
December 29, 1858
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Young Katharine and Elizabeth
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Katharine Mary Drexel
Katie at age 7
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Home

• The family lived at
• 433 Race Street
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Katharines New Mother
Emma Bouvier Drexel May 18, 1833 January 29,
1883 Married to Francis Anthony Drexel April 10,
1860
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New Home

• After the marriage between Francis and Emma the
  family moved to
• 1503 Walnut Street
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Here Mrs. Drexel opened the doors of the
  home 3 days a week to help the
  poor by distributing
  food, clothing and other essentials

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San Michel - Summer Home

• 1870 Parents purchase their Summer Home in the
  Torresdale section of Philadelphia
• Named for Saint Michael the Archangel
• St. Michael was the Family's Patron Saint

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Elizabeth and Katharine'sSunday School
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Spirituality

• Francis and Emma were Catholic.
• Parents taught the children that money was a gift
  from God to be shared with the poor.
• The Drexel girls received their Religious
  Instructions from the Religious of the Sacred
  Heart in a nearby Convent.

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Education

• Private Tutors
• In addition to Academics they studied Fine Arts
  and language
• Travel was also a part of their education
• The Drexel girls traveled with their parents
  throughout America and Europe

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Tragedy

• 1879 Mrs. Drexel takes ill
• Katharine helps with her mothers care
• 1883 Emma dies
• 1885 Mr. Drexel dies suddenly

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Last Will and Testament

• Mr. Drexel leaves an estate valued at
  15,500,000.00
• 1,500,000.00 is given to 29 named charities
• 14,000,000.00 is put into a trust fund
• Drexel girls to receive only the interest,
  estimated to be 1,000.00 a day
• After the death of the Drexel Girls their
  children would receive this inheritance

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Katharines Older Sister
Elizabeth Drexel Smith August 27, 1855 -
September 26, 1890
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Katharine Drexel at Age 21
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Katharines Younger Sister
Louise Drexel Morrell October 2, 1863 November
4, 1945
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Bishop James OConnor

• Came from Ireland at age of 15
• Ordained 1848
• 1872 appointed as Pastor at St. Dominic
  
• Became Katharines Spiritual Advisor
• Assisted Katharines formation as a Religious
• Arranged training with Mercy Sisters
• Convinced her to use her full name
• Permission to maintain control of her inheritance

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Lay Ministry

• After Mr. Drexels death, Bishop Martin Marty,
  Dakota and Msgr. Joseph Stephan, Bureau of
  Catholic Indian Missions asked the Drexel Ladies
  for help with financial assistance.
• Katharine had an interest in Native American
  Evangelization since childhood and the girls
  promised to help.
• The Drexel sisters kept that promise to end of
  their days.
• 1886 Katharine buys a building in Santa Fe and
  opens St. Catherine Indian School

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Saint Catherine Indian SchoolSante Fe, New Mexico

• Purchased in 1886
• Opened in1887
• Closed in 1893
• Reopened in 1894 under the Sisters of the Blessed
  Sacrament

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Illness

• In 1886 Katharine became jaundiced and lost
  weight, her normal vitality was gone.
• Physicians suggested she travel to a health spa
  in Germany.
• 1886 all three girl left for Germany
• Katharines health was gradually restored.
• Remaining true to the promise made to Bishop
  Marty and Msgr. Stephan the girls recruited
  priests and nuns to go to American as
  missionaries.

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Journey to Religious Life

• Katharine felt that she had a calling since she
  was about 14 years of age.
• Her mother was cool to this idea.
• Bishop OConnor, her Spiritual Advisor counseled
  against it.
• You belong in society, he wrote, In that
  position, you can do more for the Church and
  Souls.

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• During a visit with Pope Leo XIII in 1887, she
  asked for Missionaries, The Holy Father
  responded, Why not you, my child, become a
  missionary?

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• September 1887, Katharine, Bishop OConnor and
  her sisters visited Msgr. Stephan at the Indian
  School in the Dakotas.
• November 1888, Katharine again discusses
  Religious Life with Bishop OConnor
• January 1889 Katharine was a bridesmaid in her
  sister, Louises wedding.

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• February 1889, Bishop OConnor agrees with
  Katharines decision to become a Religious.
• OConnor attempts to persuade her to begin her
  own order and she was not enthused.
• On March 19, 1889, Feast of St. Joseph, Katharine
  agrees with the Bishop.
• The Bishop requested that the Sisters of Mercy,
  Pittsburgh, Pa. provide training for Katharine.
• May 7, 1889, Katharine enters the Mercy Convent
  as a Postulant for training
• November 7, 1889 Katharine is accepted as a
  Novice.

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• May 27, 1890, Bishop OConnor died in Omaha,
  Nebraska where he was Bishop.
• After the Bishops death, Katharine received a
  letter of sympathy from Philadelphias Archbishop
  Patrick J. Ryan.
• Ryan asks Katharine If I share the burden with
  you, if I help you, can you go on.
• September 7, 1890, Elizabeth dies in childbirth,
  along with her unborn son.
• During her time as a Novice, Katharine purchases
  a 67 acre site for the new Motherhouse in
  Bensalem, Pa.

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• Katharine Drexel professes her vows as the first
  Sister of the Blessed Sacrament on February 12,
  1891.
• Katharine and the new Sisters move into the
  Drexels former summer home in Torresdale and
  begin the new Order.
• December 1892, the Motherhouse construction is
  finished enough to allow the Sisters to move in.
• The new Convent is named St. Elizabeth, to honor
  the memory of Katharines older Sister.

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Katharine Drexel - Missionary

• 1892 Holy Providence School opens in Bensalem.
• June 13, 1894, Katharine sends the first SBS to
  mission at St. Catherine Indian School.
• Katharine purchases land in Powhatan, Virginia
  and builds a school for black girls.
• Fall 1899 St. Francis de Sales School opens.

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• December 3, 1902, St. Michael Indian School opens
  in Arizona.
• September 5, 1905, Immaculate Mother, Nashville,
  Tennessee, opens
• 1906, Katharine Drexel sends SBS to St. Patrick
  Church, Carlisle, Pa to teach Black and Native
  Americans religion.
• 1915 Xavier Prep School opens.
• 1925 Xavier University opens.
• By the time Katharine Drexel died, she had opened
  more than 60 schools for the Black and Native
  American peoples.

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St. Michael Indian SchoolSaint Michael, Arizona
Opened in 1902 still in operation today
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Xavier UniversityNew Orleans, Louisiana
Opened 1925
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Retirement

• 1935 Katharine suffers a mild heart attack while
  traveling.
• Later that year, she suffers a second heart
  attack and returns to St. Elizabeth Convent.
• Mother Katharine, although ill, continues as the
  Congregations Superior until 1937.
• Katharine retires as Mother M. Mercedes is
  elected as the Superior.

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Mother Katharine's Wheelchair

• Due to her failing health, physicians tell
  Katharine to purchase a wheelchair so that she
  would able to be moved around.
• Mother Katharine would not allow the money for a
  chair to be spent on her.
• Workers made this chair from two broken school
  chairs and an old baby carriage frame.

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• Katharine lives out her life in prayer.
• The last years were spent bed-ridden.
• February 20, 1955, Katharine is diagnosed with
  lombar pneumonia. Two weeks later she is better,
  but in a weakened condition.
• Evening of March 2, 1955, Katharine suffers from
  a severe coughing spell.
• 905 AM, Thursday, March 3, 1955, Katharine dies
  quietly in her room.
• Tuesday, March 8, 1955, her funeral is held at
  the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in
  Philadelphia, PA.
• Katharine is put to rest in her crypt at St.
  Elizabeth Convent.

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Status of Inheritance

• Elizabeth was first to die, she and her baby boy
  died at childbirth
• Louise married but never conceived
• Katharine never married
• At Katharines death the interest stopped and the
  principal of 14,000,000.00 was distributed to
  Mr. Drexels named Charities.

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The Road to Canonization

• February 27, 1964, John Cardinal Krol, introduces
  cause in Rome
• January 26, 1987, Katharine Drexel is named
  Venerable.
• November 20, 1988, Venerable Katharine Drexel is
  Beautified
• October 1, 2000, Blessed Katharine is Canonized a
  Saint

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