Saint Katharine Drexel, Mother & Servant to Native and Black Americas

March 3 marks the feast day of S aint Katharine Drexel who took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and "to be the mother and servant of the Indian and Negro races.”

Saint Drexel eould sure not be happy about the Abolition of the Black Man.

Katharine Drexel, (November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American Catholic religious sister, and educator. In 1891, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious congregation serving Black and Indigenous Americans.

Katharine was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000, the second person born in the United States to be declared a saint and the first who was born a U.S. citizen

Katharine Drexel, heiress to a multi-million dollar estate, entered the convent and decided to give her life to the service of her Native and African-American brethren. While on a trip with her family out West, Katharine witnessed firsthand the terrible condition of the Native people. She also took note of the hardships endured by African-Americans, who struggled to find work, education, and fair treatment. She and her sisters dove wholeheartedly into supporting the missions that served these populations. In 1891, she took her first religious vows, and with some other sisters founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. In addition to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, Katharine took a fourth one: “To be the mother and servant of the Indian and Negro races.”  During her life, Mother Katharine founded dozens of missions and schools for black and Native Americans in sixteen states. Among them is Xavier University in New Orleans, the only historically-black Catholic college in the country. 

More recently, Sister Margaret Hillary, OP who has served the community on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana as pastoral counselor and youth minister in the community. Along with fellow Dominican Sister Edith Schnell, Sister Margaret Hillary they serve families at St. Ignatius Mission Parish and helped the community navigate through the pandemic.  With a grant from Sisters on the Frontlines, they paid for  internet service for a family of nine with several children who suffer from chronic health issues. The Sisters on the Frontlines was launched during the pandemic with the exceptional goal of providing 1,000 Catholic sisters with $1,000 each. Each sister used the funds to help an individual or family suffering extremely adverse affects due to the pandemic. The Sisters on the Frontline  are prophetic witnesses and voices of hope. They are close to those who are in need and they are trusted by people of all walks of life. Sisters on the Frontlines was formed by an alliance including Catholic Extension, Congregation of St. Joseph, Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters, FADICA, GHR Foundation, Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Prayers to St Katharine

Katharine Drexel include novena prayers, asking for her intercession, and thanking her for her example of service.


Novena prayers
"Ever Loving God, you called St. Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel"

"Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Katherine Drexel as an example of holiness"

"St. Katharine Drexel, pray for us!"

Intercession prayers

"Hear us now, we pray, as we bring to you our many prayers, petitions and intentions through the intercession of Saint Katharine Drexel"

"Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly!"

Thank you prayers


"All praise and thanks to the Most Blessed Trinity, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit"
"We honor you when we acclaim all those who share your life in eternal glory, our Mother Mary, all the angels and saints

Example prayers


"Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in putting her great wealth to use serving those in need"
"Pray that I may, like you, be eager to put my material wealth to use for God"