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Novena in Honor of St. Katharine Drexel A novena is a nine day prayer for a certain reason or situation. Here is the novena prayer that honors St. Katharine Drexel. Compassionate God, who in your Son Jesus Christ healed the sick, touched the hearts of the troubled and sent disciples to announce good news to the poor, we offer this novena for peace and for the intentions of all those who are praying with us. Ever Loving God, You called St. Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to Black and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your Church that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Now say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be. |
| The Life of Saint Katherine Drexel |
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Birth : 1858 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More Information: St. Katharine Drexel was born into a wealthy family in Philadelphia. She was well educated, and she had to help take care of her stepmother who was sick and died three years later. She quickly realized that money isn't nearly as important as people. Having a special interest in Indian culture, she was instructed to create a missionary from Pope Leo XIII. St. Katharine became a nun, and she started to give away millions to the Native Americans. St. Katharine and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored, started their work when three years of training were over. She opened boarding schools and schools for African American children in several states. These schools would get vandalized because of racism. But St. Katharine continued to help. St. Katharine created the very first college for African Americans called the Xavier University located in New Orleans. When she was 77, St. Katharine had to retire due to a heart attack. She spent her final years praying and writing. She died when she was 96 years old. |
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Saint Katherine Drexel From John Fischer Mother Katharine Drexel to be Canonized-- Pope John Paul II will canonize the Blessed Mother Katharine Drexel on October 1, 2000 in ceremonies at St. Peter's in Vatican City. The canonization of Mother Drexel will make Philadelphia the only Archdiocese in the United States to lay claim to two saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Saint John Newmann, the fourth Catholic bishop of Philadelphia was canonized in 1977. There are currently four Americans recognized as saints by the Catholic Church. As reported by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on their website, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, expressed his joy over the announcement which was made in March of 2000. "This is truly a joyous occasion for all of us," said Cardinal Bevilacqua. "Catholics everywhere, and especially in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will rightfully rejoice at this great news." "Clearly, God worked through Mother Katharine Drexel who did His Will and was of service to the poorest of the poor," said Cardinal Bevilacqua. Katharine's Foundation-- Preserving Katharine Drexel's 1st of 55 schools for African Americans www.katharinesfoundation.org. "She is a shinning example to all believers and to all people of good will. Mother Katharine gave up her family fortune to devote her life to the poor & oppressed, particularly Native American and African American peoples. She believed that we are all one people united in the Holy Eucharist, the sacrament which is Jesus' 'total gift of self."Katharine Drexel was born in 1858, the daughter of Francis Drexel, a banking magnate and business partner of J.P. Morgan. She was born and raised in a world of wealth living in lavish mansions, and traveling the world. Her family, however, were devout Catholics and reknowned for their charity work, distributing food, clothing and money to the poor from their mansion near Philadelphia. At the age of 30, Drexel entered a convent and used her $20 million inheritance to establish a missionary order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Bensalem, PA founded in 1891. This was the same year that her uncle, Anthony J. Drexel founded Drexel University in Philadelphia. Mother Katharine Drexel to be Canonized In 1894, Mother Drexel took part in opening the first mission school for Indians, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other schools quickly followed - eleven for Native Americans west of the Mississippi River, and over 100 for the blacks in the southern part of the United States. In 1915 she also founded Xavier University in New Orleans, the only historically black Catholic college in the country. At her death in 1955 at the age of 96, there were more than 500 Sisters teaching in 63 schools throughout the country. Throughout her life, Mother Drexel was widely considered to be a holy woman. Former Cardinal John Krol began the campaign for her sainthood shortly after her death, however, in order to be canonized the Church requires proof of at least two miraculous cures due to the intercession of the candidate. In 1988, Pope John Paul bestowed on Katharine Drexel the title of "Blessed" after decreeing that the cure of Robert Gutherman of hearing loss in 1975 occurred only after he and his family prayed to Mother Drexel for intercession. In January of 2000, the Pope decreed that Amy Wall, a seven year old girl from Bucks County had been miraculously cured of her deafness after prayers were made to Mother Drexel. In a related announcement, Constantine Papadakis of Drexel University announced that Amy Wall and each of her siblings would receive full scholarships for the college education from Drexel University.
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