"Powerful and profoundly moving, Saint Katharine is a book of rich and lively scholarship and of deeply felt devotion. You will not be able to put it down."--Donald Spoto, author of Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi When Katharine Drexel was born in 1858, her grandfather, financier Francis Martin Drexel, had a fortune so vast he was able to provide a loan of sixty million dollars to the Union's cause during the Civil War. Her uncle and mentor, Anthony, established Drexel University to provide instruction to the working class regardless of race, religion, or gender. Her stepmother was Emma Bouvier whose brother, John, became the great-grandfather of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Katharine Drexel's family were American royalty. As a Philadelphia socialite, "Kitty," as she was often called, adored formal balls and teas, rowing regattas, and sailing races. She was beautiful, intelligent, and high-spirited. But when her stepmother died in 1883, and her father two years later, a sense of desolation nearly overwhelmed her. She was twenty-seven and in possession of a staggering inheritance. Approached for aid by the Catholic Indian Missions, she surprised her family by giving generously of money and time. It was during this period of acute self-examination that she journeyed to Rome for a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. With characteristic energy and fervor, she detailed the plight of the Native Americans, and begged for additional missionaries to serve them. His reply astonished her. "Why not, my child, yourself become a missionary?" In Saint Katharine: The Life of Katharine Drexel, Cordelia Frances Biddle recounts the extraordinary story of a Gilded Age luminary who became a selfless worker for the welfare and rights of America's poorest persons. After years of supporting efforts on behalf of African Americans and American Indians, Katharine finally decided to follow her inner voice and profess vows. The act made headlines. Like her father and grandfather, she was a shrewd businessperson; she retained her financial autonomy and established her own order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Until her death in 1955, she devoted herself and her inheritance to building much-needed schools in the South and Southwest, despite threats from the Ku Klux Klan and others. Pragmatic, sometimes willful, ardent, and a charismatic leader, Katharine Drexel was an indefatigable champion of justice and parity. When illness incapacitated her in later years, divine radiance was said to emanate from her, a radiance that led to her canonization on October 1, 2000.

On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Katharine Drexel (1858 1955) to be a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Only the second American-born Catholic saint in history, Drexel founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891 and established more than sixty Blessed Sacrament missions and schools. In this biography Cheryl Hughes chronicles the remarkable life of St. Katharine Drexel, exploring what drove her to turn away from her family s wealth and become a missionary nun who served some of the most underprivileged and marginalized people of her time. Through her inspiration and effort "Mother" Katharine improved the lives of untold numbers of Native Americans and African Americans, overcoming open hostility to her work from various quarters, including the Ku Klux Klan. Her saintly legacy lives on today.

This biography of Katharine Drexel follows the life of the Phildelphia debutante who left a life of comfort and material wealth behind to lead a life of spiritual wealth educating and caring for the opressed of her time. Author Lou Baldwin documents her life journey, from the loss of her mother in early childhood, to her world travels, her ministry in the Southwest and the miracles that lead to her canonization in the Catholic Church. Includes photographs of the debutante who chose poverty over wealth, the oppressed over society and Christ over comfort.

The inspiring story of the Philadelphia heiress who gave her life to Jesus and spent her huge fortune helping others. This second US-born saint founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to serve Native and African-Americans.

15 Days of Prayer” Collection Now distributed by New City Press, this popular series is perfect for those looking for an introduction to a particular spiritual guide, those searching for gift ideas and those who merely wish to know more about the person and his or her spirituality. Additional volume planned in 2 to 3 months intervals. Each volume contains: • A brief biography of the saint or spiritual leader introduced in that volume • A guide to creating a format for prayer and retreat • 15 meditation sessions with focus points and reflection guides Follow in the footsteps of Saint Katharine Drexel Born in 1858 into a socially prominent Philadelphia family, Katharine Drexel seemed destined to lead the life of a debutante. Instead, from the age of 33 until her death in 1955, she dedicated her life and fortune to the material and spiritual well-being of underprivileged Americans. Mother Drexel founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and helped open schools for African- and Native Americans. She also founded Xavier University in New Orleans. For Katharine Drexel, sharing the bread of her life was an extension of her desire to share her wealth with those who had little. Pope John Paul II canonized her in October 2000. Peacefully do what at the moment needs to be done The perfect model of a Gospel-centered life, Saint Katharine Drexel lived life with a sense of social justice in a world torn by differences.

Illustrated This Vision book for youth tells the beautiful story of American's recently canonized saint and servant of the oppressed, St. Katharine Drexel. Born in 1858 to Francis and Emma Drexel, Katharine grew up in a happy, devout, and wealthy Catholic family in Philadelphia. Her parents were greatly loved and admired by many for their kindness and generosity to the poor and needy. After the death of her parents the young Katharine decided to use all the fortune she had inherited to help the less fortunate in America, especially the Indians and African Americans. Acting upon the words she had heard come from a statue of Our Lady, "Freely you have received, freely give," and from the direct advice given her by Pope Leo XIII to become a missionary, Katharine Drexel became a religious sister and founded the order of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. Mother Katharine and her sisters worked tirelessly to serve the material and spiritual needs of the downtrodden through numerous schools and institutions she established around the country. She died in 1955, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. Cover art by Chris Pelicano

Find out in this compelling biography of St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) -- a tale of "riches to rags" that turns the conventional American success story upside down. Born the daughter of a wealthy and prominent Philadelphia banker, Katharine gave up her place of privilege and ease to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. As they spread across the United States, these sisters devoted themselves tirelessly to caring for the needs of the poor and those on the margins of American society, especially African-Americans and Native Americans. Here was a woman who intimately knew both the streets of Paris and the streets of Harlem ... who crossed the ocean on luxury liners yet paddled the backwaters of the Louisiana bayou ... who dined with equal ease in the mansions of high society or the tent of a lakota tribal chief. St. Katharine's life was the adventure of an indomitable soul who gave herself to the oppressed -- and taught the world the meaning of fearless love. Book jacket.