St. Katharine Drexel

 For the letter 'K', I have chosen a Saint that I know is a favorite of many, St. Katharine Drexel. 

Katharine, who was born as Catherine Mary Drexel in Philadelphia in 1858, was the first person who was born in the United States to be canonized as a Saint. (Note: St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton was canonized earlier, but she was born before the U.S. was a country). Katharine was canonized in 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II. 

Katharine's father was an investment banker. She and her sisters were brought up in the lap of luxury. They were taken on tours of the United States an Europe, and Katharine made her social debut in 1878. Katharine's parents also taught them about the obligation of wealth. Three times a week the family gave out food, clothing and rent assistance from their family home. When widows or single women were too proud to come to the house, the family quietly sought them out.

Katharine was appalled by what she read about the plight of Native Americans. When her family visited the western states, she observed their destitution first hand. She wanted to do something specific to hel - thus began her life-long support of numerous missions in the United States.

When their father died, the Drexel sisters were left with a large inheritance. In 1887, the sisters were received in a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. They asked him for some missionaries to staff some Indian missions that they had been financing. The Pope suggested instead that Katharine become a missionary herself. After consulting with her Spiritual Director, she entered the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Pittsburg in 1889. In 1891, she professed her first vows, dedicating herself to work among the Native Americans and African-Americans. She took the name Mother Katharine and, with thirteen other women, established a new congregation called the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Mother Katharine received requests for help and advise from various parts of the U.S. All told, Mother Katharine and her sisters established 145 missions, 50 schools for African-Americans, 12 schools for Native Americans and Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically black Catholic college in the U.S. Much of this was financed by the income from Katharine's fortune. Unfortunately, because of the terms of her father's will, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament no longer had the Drexel fortune available to support their mission after Katherine's death. However, the order is still active and pursuing their original apostolate with Native-Americans and African Americans in 21 states and Haiti.

Mother Katharine Drexel died in 1955 at the age of 96. Her feast day is celebrated on March 3. She is patron of philanthropy and racial justice.