Thursday, March 3, 2011

St. Katharine Drexel




Today is the Feast Day of St. Katharine. Born in 1858 to a wealthy Philadelphia family she felt a pull to the spiritual life rather than one of a socialite. At her father's death, she inherited $14,000,000.00.

With this money and her devotion to the poor, she founded approximately 50 schools for African-Americans, 12 for Native Americans and helped sustain 145 Catholic missions. One of Mother Katharine's crowning achievements was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in November of 1980.

No comments: