KATHERINE DREXEL, MISSIONARY TO AMERICAN MINORITIES

Katharine Drexel, 1858-1955, grew up in the wealthy, banking family of the Drexels of Philadelphia but her strong sense of call led her into missions among American Indians and American colored people. Katharine was motivated by a sense of responsibility to act on behalf of the under-privileged. In her missionary efforts, she founded the Order of the Most Holy Sacrament for Indians and Negroes. During the course of her 97 years, Katharine used the Drexel trust to establish missions among the Sioux, Pueblos, and Navajos. She aided the colored population by funding and overseeing schools, missions, convents, and even a mission in Cincinnati. She planned a school for Negro children in Nashville and purchased a campus in New Orleans which would later become Xavier University, the first Catholic university for Negroes in the South. Mother Katharine carried out her responsibilities faithfully in praying for justice for Indians and the colored population, in battling segregation and biased press coverage, and by providing educational opportunities for those for whom she felt responsible.

[Adapted from Women Saints: Lives of Faith and Courage by Kathleen Jones. Orbis Books, Maryknoll]

This material is published by the Faith Committee of the Character Council of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Reproduction and Adaptation is encouraged.