Happy Feast of St. Katherine Drexel!

Today is the feast day of St. Katherine Drexel (1878-1955) who spent her life as a Spouse of Christ ministering to Black and Native peoples in the U.S. From the brief bio in the Liturgy of the Hours:

“Katherine gave her a fortune and her life to serve the poor and oppressed, particularly African-American and Native American people. She helped finance many missions among them. In 1891, she found a missionary community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The eucharist was the center of and sustenance for her life; She saw it as the source of unity among races.”

Collect (Opening Mass Prayer) for her feast day:

God of love, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the Native American and African American peoples; by her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and the oppressed, and keep us undivided in love in the eucharistic community of your Church.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For this reason, my apostolate celebrates her today.

St. Katherine Drexel pray for us!

Original Image found on Facebook. Credit for it goes to Bro. Mickey O’Neill McGrath, OSFS.