Catherine Drexel

Catherine (or Katharine ) Drexel (1858 - 1955) was born on November 26th with Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), second girl of Francis Anthony and Hannah Langstroth Drexel, which dies little of time after her birth. His/her father marries in second weddings Emma Bouvier, which will continue the education of Catherine.

Birth of its vocation

Francis Anthony, banker, offer to his family an undeniable abundance of cash, while teaching with his/her daughters who the tangible properties of which they lay out must be divided with poorest.

The Drexel family, with the community activities of the father, with the practice to travel much, particularly to Europe. After the death of Emma (January 1883), to distract her daughters, Francis Drexel takes them along in Italy.

November 18th 1883, in the Saint-Marc basilica of Venice, Catherine sees a table of the Blessed Virgin and intends this one to say to him: “ You received free; give free”. She recognizes at once this passage of the Gospel (MT 10,8) which had deeply influenced holy François d' Assise, saint for which she had deep a devotion.

During an other voyage, in the American West, this time, Catherine is upset by the sad living conditions of the minorities Noires and Indian.

Francis Drexel, dies out in its turn on February 15th 1885, leaving his/her three daughters heiresses of an immense fortune. Catherine and her sisters leave then to Europe, in order to recruit priests for the Indian missions in the United States. They go to Rome where, in January 1887, they are received in audience deprived by the pope Leon XIII. When Catherine begs the Holy Father to send missionaries to the Indians, it receives this unexpected answer: “ Why, my child, you do not become yourself missionary? ” This answer surprises it, its vocation not being yet on this date a certainty for it.

In September of this same year, Catherine, in company of her sisters, visits the Indian missions in Dakotas. There, it meets Red Cloud, celebrates it Sioux chief, and makes the experiment of the pitiful state of the Indians. As of her return, Catherine then offers a systematic help in favor of the Indian missions. In four years, it finances the construction of thirteen schools. This attention for the Indians doubles of a concern for the fate of the American Blacks which, in spite of the official emancipation, are still the object of serious discriminations.

For a long time, Catherine was dissuaded to follow a religious vocation by her spiritual director, Mgr James O' Connor, bishop of Omaha (Nebraska). However, after having received, in November 1888, a letter in which Catherine once more insists on her desire to embrace the religious life, Mgr O' Connor then encourages it to found itself a new Congregation, an order missionary for the Indians and Black American. After some hesitations, it ends up accepting, on March 19th 1889.

Thus it joined the Sisters of Mercy, with Pittsburgh, and is received with their noviciate, on November 7th 1889. It will be helped in its task, after the death of Mgr O' Connor, by the archbishop of Philadelphia, Mgr Patrick Ryan.

Its work

February 12th 1891 Catherine Drexel makes profession as a first “Sister of the Blessed Sacrament for the Indians and the Blacks. ”

The following year, the Sisters complete to settle in the convent Holy-Elizabeth with Cornwells Heights (Pennsylvania).

Sœur Catherine writes a rule of life for the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. In July 1907, it receives in Rome the first approval of the holy Pope Pie X, and, little time after, is elected general Supérieure Institute of the “ Sœurs of the Blessed Sacrament for the Indians and Coloured persons ”. It will remain it until in 1937.

The convent of its new institute not being completed yet, it opens its noviciate with Torresdale, in a property belonging to its family. Ten beginners and three postulating join it soon. One year after, the community counts 21 members.

Three years later, the congregation opens a first boarding school with the Mission Holy-Catherine of Santa Fe (New Mexico).

During all her life, Catherine Drexel and her congregation opened 60 schools, whose most famous, in 1915, is the Xavier University, with La Nouvelle-Orléans, first catholic institute of higher learning for the Blacks in the United States, located at the 1 Drexel Drive.

In 1935, already patient, an heart attack weakens it still more. The 18 last years of its life, become almost completely grabataire, it devotes its time to the prayer. She dies on March 3rd 1955 with Cornwells Heights (Pennsylvania) at the 96 years age.

Canonization

The process of canonization for Catherine Drexel was opened by John Cardinal Krol, in December 1964. January 26th 1987, it was declared Vénérable.

Following a miracle occurred in 1974 (cure of Robert Gutherman, after the prayers of its family with Mère Catherine) and recognized by Rome, its lawsuit in beatification finished on November 20th 1988 by its beatification pronounced by Jean-Paul II

Lastly, on October 1st 2000, Mère Catherine Drexel was canonized, by Jean-Paul II.

Quotations

“ It is very suitable for us that people of this city do not have a place for us and our work. As it is true that the cave of Bethlehem is the large teacher of the world… Do not fail to think of That of which I make profession be in love! Be in love with its humiliations. ”

“ Each test that we undergo, is an act of the mercy of God, in order to detach us from the ground and to bring us closer to God. ”

“ If you are detached from the things of the ground, you will have the kingdom of God in you. If you are not detached, you will convince yourselves that many things are necessary, and will manage to you from there to carry out a life of facility. God fills what is empty. ”

“ the Nun needs force. Near to the gate vault, the heart finds the force, the consolation and resignation. The Nun needs virtues. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the model of the virtues. The Nun needs hope. In the Blessed Sacrament we have the most invaluable pledge of our hope. The Host contains the germ of the future life. ”

Its last words are: “ O the Holy Spirit, I would like to be a feather, so that your breath carries me where good seems to you. ”

Celebrates

March 3rd

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