Mother Katherine Drexel was born into wealth in Philadelphia.
Her father was a very successful international banker, and she was an heiress
to a large fortune. Yet, she was involved in many of her family’s philanthropic
and charitable works.
Around the age of 30, aware of the plight of the poor and
the marginalized, and she was touring Europe, when she met Pope Leo XIII, and
she asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James
O’Connor. The pope replied, “Why don’t
you become a missionary?”
This shocked her into considering new possibilities. She could have easily dismissed the Pope’s
suggestion and left the work to someone else.
She could have married, and used some of her wealth for this good and holy
work. But, she felt God calling her to
something more. And she answered that
call. She made the decision to give
herself to God, along with her inheritance, through service to American Indians
and Afro-Americans
Newspaper headlines read: “Heiress gives up Seven Million”, lot
of money in 1889.
Listen to what Pope John Paul II said at his homily when he
canonized Katherine in the year 2000: From her parents, she learned that her
family’s possessions were not for them alone, but were to be shared with the
less fortunate. As a young women she was
deeply distressed by the poverty and hopeless conditions endured by many native
americans and African americans. She
began to devote her fortune to missionary and educational work amongst the
poorest members of society. Later, she
came to understand that more was needed.
As we prepare for the upcoming season of Lent we are called
to consider “what attitudes or habits or even personal possession might we be
called to give up in order to serve the Gospel to a greater degree? Where is God calling you? If you are aware of a pressing need in your
family or in this community, you may be the
one that is being called to work
for that need.
“With great courage and confidence in God’s grace, St.
Katherine Drexel chose to give, not just her fortune, but her whole life,
totally to the Lord. St. Katherine
Drexel is an excellent example of that practical charity and generous
solidarity with the less fortunate which has long been the distinguishing mark
of American catholics. May her example,
help young people in particular, to appreciate that no greater treasure can be
found in this world than in following Christ with a divided heart and in using
generously the gifts we have received for the service of others and the
building of a more just and fraternal world (JPII)” for the glory of God and
salvation of souls.
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