St. Katharine Drexel
Born: November 26, 1858
Died: March 3, 1955
Feast day: March 3
Patron saint of: philanthropy, racial justice
Growing up white and privileged in the century between the Civil War and the civil rights movement, Katharine Drexel gave her heart to those who had none of her aces up their sleeves. She committed her life and considerable fortune to promoting the welfare of two politically abandoned communities: Native and African Americans.
For her it was simple justice, not manicured charity. Kate didn’t hand out sandwiches. She built schools and trained teachers. She fought racism in the press, in national policies, even in the church. Naturally shy, she became a woman unafraid to bring the weight of her wealth into the ring of power and duke it out. You want to keep her black schools out of your white neighborhood, her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament out of your Protestant enclave? Fine. She’ll get the property and permissions anyway, one way or another.
More about St. Katharine:
Work for justice with St. Katharine Drexel
Let this pilgrim saint show you the way of justice.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
