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Saint Katharine Drexel

03 Wednesday Mar 2021

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

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indigenous people, missions, St. Katherine Drexel, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Katharine Drexel. The Franciscan Media reflection on this second saint to be born in the United States (Philadelphia) is rather fanciful and very engaging. She was born in 1858 and lived for 97 years, in spite of suffering a heart attack at age 77, so one could consider her “a modern saint,” the second American to be canonized by the Church. Here is what the reflection on her life tells us:

Saints have always said the same thing. Pray, be humble, accept the cross, love and forgive. But it is good to hear these things in the American idiom from one who, for instance, had her ears pierced as teenager, who resolved to have “no cake, no preserves,” who wore a watch, was interviewed by the press, traveled by train and could concern herself with the proper size of pipe for a new mission. There are obvious reminders that happiness can be lived in today’s culture as well as that of Jerusalem or Rome.

This modern girl with money had a heart on fire “with the plight of people of color and Native Americans (Indians) after reading the book entitled A Century of Dishonor by Helen Hunt Jackson.” She founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored and “by 1942 she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states for black students, 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools, although segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania.” (franciscanmedia.org) At present, Mother Drexel is credited with establishing 145 missions, 50 schools for African Americans and 12 schools for Native Americans and Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically black Catholic college in the United States. (Wikipedia)

Let us be thankful today for Mother Katharine Drexel and those who have followed her example of care for native peoples and people of color in the United States and elsewhere. “That all may be one!”

Do You Know Her?

03 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

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prejudice, racism, St. Katherine Drexel, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is the feast of another American saint, Katharine Drexel, who lived until this date in 1955, dying at the age of 97 years. Coming from a rich family in Philadelphia, Katharine was taught generosity in her home. From the experience of caring for her step-mother through a three-year terminal illness she learned that all the money in the world cannot save a person from suffering and death. Rather she used her inherited money to care for those in need, especially Native Americans and people of color, finally founding the congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to serve those two underserved populations in the United States.

This seems a good day to reflect on those people in our midst who still suffer from prejudice simply because of the color of their skin or living the traditions of their ancestors. With the present-day rise of racism in our country, we would do well to get to know Katharine Drexel and pray to her for those who are being treated unjustly. Moreover, we ought to examine our own hearts for the prejudice that causes bad behavior and even violence – perhaps hidden even from ourselves. May we follow the example of this sainted woman in welcoming all others into our circle of life and love.

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