Saint Katharine Drexel Story
November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955
The story begins in Dornbirn
Austria April 1, 1792
Self Portrait
Francis – Catherine - Mary
Family Fortune
• Francis Martin Drexel was a portrait artist, born
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in Dornbirn, Austria
Immigrated to America in 1817
Started a currency brokerage business 1837
1847 opened Drexel & Sons
Francis A. Drexel, age 29 becomes President of
the Company, which became one of the leading
banks in America
Katharine’s Father
Francis Anthony Drexel
March 4, 1824 – February 29, 1885
Katharine’s Mother
Hannah Langstroth Drexel
January 14, 1826 – December 29, 1858
Young Katharine and Elizabeth
Katharine Mary Drexel
Katie at age 7
Home
• The family lived at
–433 Race Street
–Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Katharine’s New Mother
Emma Bouvier Drexel
May 18, 1833 – January 29, 1883
Married to Francis Anthony Drexel
April 10, 1860
New Home
• After the marriage between Francis and
Emma the family moved to:
– 1503 Walnut Street
– Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
•Here Mrs. Drexel opened the doors of
the home 3 days a week to help the
poor by distributing food, clothing and
other essentials
San Michel - Summer Home
•1870 Parents
purchase their
Summer Home in
the Torresdale
section of
Philadelphia
•Named for Saint
Michael the
Archangel
•St. Michael was
the Family's
Patron Saint
Elizabeth and Katharine's
Sunday School
Spirituality
• Francis and Emma were Catholic.
• Parents taught the children that money
was a gift from God to be shared with the
poor.
• The Drexel girls received their Religious
Instructions from the Religious of the
Sacred Heart in a nearby Convent.
Education
• Private Tutors
• In addition to Academics they studied Fine
Arts and language
• Travel was also a part of their education
• The Drexel girls traveled with their parents
throughout America and Europe
Tragedy
• 1879 Mrs. Drexel takes ill
• Katharine helps with her mother’s care
• 1883 Emma dies
• 1885 Mr. Drexel dies suddenly
Last Will and Testament
• Mr. Drexel leaves an estate valued at
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$15,500,000.00
$1,500,000.00 is given to 29 named charities
$14,000,000.00 is put into a trust fund
Drexel girls to receive only the interest,
estimated to be $1,000.00 a day
After the death of the Drexel Girls their children
would receive this inheritance
Katharine’s Older Sister
Elizabeth Drexel Smith
August 27, 1855 - September 26, 1890
Katharine Drexel at Age 21
Katharine’s Younger Sister
Louise Drexel Morrell
October 2, 1863 – November 4, 1945
Bishop James O’Connor
•Came from Ireland at age of 15
•Ordained 1848
•1872 appointed as Pastor at St.
Dominic
•Became Katharine’s Spiritual Advisor
•Assisted Katharine’s formation as a
Religious
•Arranged training with Mercy
Sisters
•Convinced her to use her full name
•Permission to maintain control of
her inheritance
Lay Ministry
• After Mr. Drexel’s death, Bishop Martin Marty,
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Dakota and Msgr. Joseph Stephan, Bureau of
Catholic Indian Missions asked the Drexel Ladies
for help with financial assistance.
Katharine had an interest in Native American
Evangelization since childhood and the girls
promised to help.
The Drexel sisters kept that promise to end of
their days.
1886 Katharine buys a building in Santa Fe and
opens St. Catherine Indian School
Saint Catherine Indian School
Sante Fe, New Mexico
•Purchased in 1886
•Opened in1887
•Closed in 1893
•Reopened in 1894
under the Sisters of
the Blessed
Sacrament
Illness
• In 1886 Katharine became jaundiced and lost
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weight, her normal vitality was gone.
Physicians suggested she travel to a health spa
in Germany.
1886 all three girl left for Germany
Katharine’s health was gradually restored.
Remaining true to the promise made to Bishop
Marty and Msgr. Stephan the girls recruited
priests and nuns to go to American as
missionaries.
Journey to Religious Life
• Katharine felt that she had a calling since
she was about 14 years of age.
• Her mother was cool to this idea.
• Bishop O’Connor, her Spiritual Advisor
counseled against it.
• “You belong in society,” he wrote, “In that
position, you can do more for the Church
and Souls.”
• During a visit with
Pope Leo XIII in
1887, she asked
for Missionaries,
The Holy Father
responded, “Why
not you, my child,
become a
missionary?”
• September 1887, Katharine, Bishop
O’Connor and her sisters visited Msgr.
Stephan at the Indian School in the
Dakotas.
• November 1888, Katharine again discusses
Religious Life with Bishop O’Connor
• January 1889 Katharine was a bridesmaid
in her sister, Louise’s wedding.
• February 1889, Bishop O’Connor agrees with
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Katharine’s decision to become a Religious.
O’Connor attempts to persuade her to begin her
own order and she was not enthused.
On March 19, 1889, Feast of St. Joseph,
Katharine agrees with the Bishop.
The Bishop requested that the Sisters of Mercy,
Pittsburgh, Pa. provide training for Katharine.
May 7, 1889, Katharine enters the Mercy
Convent as a Postulant for training
November 7, 1889 Katharine is accepted as a
Novice.
• May 27, 1890, Bishop O’Connor died in Omaha,
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Nebraska where he was Bishop.
After the Bishop’s death, Katharine received a
letter of sympathy from Philadelphia’s
Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan.
Ryan asks Katharine “If I share the burden with
you, if I help you, can you go on.”
September 7, 1890, Elizabeth dies in childbirth,
along with her unborn son.
During her time as a Novice, Katharine
purchases a 67 acre site for the new
Motherhouse in Bensalem, Pa.
• Katharine Drexel professes her
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vows as the first Sister of the
Blessed Sacrament on
February 12, 1891.
Katharine and the new Sisters
move into the Drexel’s former
summer home in Torresdale
and begin the new Order.
December 1892, the
Motherhouse construction is
finished enough to allow the
Sisters to move in.
The new Convent is named St.
Elizabeth, to honor the
memory of Katharine’s older
Sister.
Katharine Drexel - Missionary
• 1892 Holy Providence School opens in
Bensalem.
• June 13, 1894, Katharine sends the first
SBS to mission at St. Catherine Indian
School.
• Katharine purchases land in Powhatan,
Virginia and builds a school for black girls.
• Fall 1899 St. Francis de Sales School
opens.
• December 3, 1902, St. Michael Indian
School opens in Arizona.
• September 5, 1905, Immaculate Mother,
Nashville, Tennessee, opens
• 1906, Katharine Drexel sends SBS to St.
Patrick Church, Carlisle, Pa to teach Black
and Native Americans religion.
• 1915 Xavier Prep School opens.
• 1925 Xavier University opens.
• By the time Katharine Drexel died, she
had opened more than 60 schools for the
Black and Native American peoples.
St. Michael Indian School
Saint Michael, Arizona
Opened in 1902 still in operation today
Xavier University
New Orleans, Louisiana
Opened 1925
Retirement
• 1935 Katharine suffers a mild heart attack while
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traveling.
Later that year, she suffers a second heart
attack and returns to St. Elizabeth Convent.
Mother Katharine, although ill, continues as the
Congregation’s Superior until 1937.
Katharine retires as Mother M. Mercedes is
elected as the Superior.
Mother Katharine's Wheelchair
•Due to her failing health, physicians tell
Katharine to purchase a wheelchair so that
she would able to be moved around.
•Mother Katharine would not allow the
money for a chair to be spent on her.
•Workers made this chair from two broken
school chairs and an old baby carriage
frame.
• Katharine lives out her life in prayer.
• The last years were spent bed-ridden.
• February 20, 1955, Katharine is diagnosed with
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lombar pneumonia. Two weeks later she is
better, but in a weakened condition.
Evening of March 2, 1955, Katharine suffers
from a severe coughing spell.
9:05 AM, Thursday, March 3, 1955, Katharine
dies quietly in her room.
Tuesday, March 8, 1955, her funeral is held at
the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in
Philadelphia, PA.
Katharine is put to rest in her crypt at St.
Elizabeth Convent.
Status of Inheritance
• Elizabeth was first to die, she and her
baby boy died at childbirth
• Louise married but never conceived
• Katharine never married
• At Katharine’s death the interest stopped
and the principal of $14,000,000.00 was
distributed to Mr. Drexel’s named
Charities.
The Road to Canonization
• February 27, 1964, John Cardinal Krol,
introduces cause in Rome
• January 26, 1987, Katharine Drexel is
named Venerable.
• November 20, 1988, Venerable Katharine
Drexel is Beautified
• October 1, 2000, Blessed Katharine is
Canonized a Saint