Katharine Drexel: The Riches-to-Rags Story of an American Catholic Saint

by Cheryl C.D. Hughes

On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Katharine Drexel (18581955) 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."

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History

283 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2014

Reviews

[7jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, sometimes reaching 3.5 level but not often enough to be so most of the time. This is a portrait of an American saint, born into wealth but using it after becoming a nun to fund schools and education of Native Americans and African-Americans (the latter getting more attention in this book's pages), thus working on social justice when it wasn't yet fought for by most white people.

Her order was (and is) Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, focusing on the Eucharist and self-emptying work for others through education. She founded many schools around US (though not many are still open), and traveled every year to visit each one of them.

This book follows her life through many parts. The early years when she was pious but flawed, charity-giving rich girl. The six years of discernment, to see if she was really meant to be a nun, ending with her bishop advisor suggesting the founding of her order. How the founding went, the ups and downs of the order, with eventual decline of members as the world changed, after her death in 1955. What her spirituality was like (kenotic and eucharistic), and what her process to sainthood was like, and what were the reasons for her becoming a saint.

She may be a somewhat invisible saint to many today, but her work made a big impact (and she wouldn't have minded the anonymity level). Some of the chapters were more interesting than others; the discernment part and the chapter on her spirituality were the most interesting, and the facts and history on sainthood process were interesting. I did feel that the book was a bit dry, but author's clear interest and love for the saint came through. While not necessary a read, this was still one interesting book on a very important saint.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Research is solid, Katharine is AMAZING, but the writing is terribly academic. A book is not a dissertation y'all.

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

How much would one sacrifice to be a true follower of Christ?

The life of Katharine Drexel ranged from extreme wealth to a life chosen of poverty, chastity, and obedience to serve God and the most neglected of American society (Native Americans and African American in the early 20th Century). With a wealth of primary sources including letters and personal journals, the author recreates the spiritual and social life of this saint. The book also explains very well the tenets of the Catholic faith and the process of being declared a saint.

The value of the book is that by sharing the story of St. Katharine Drexel's life, the author also creates a meditation for the reader to have a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a Christian.

[K D Tarvainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly well-researched, but overall this read a bit too much like a college dissertation for my tastes. The writing tended to be academic and stiff. I had the feeling the author was arguing for *why* St. Katharine Drexel should be a Saint, even though she has already been canonized by the Catholic Church. I enjoyed the many quotations from Katharine Drexel’s letters and reflections, as well as first-hand accounts from those who knew her; yet aside from these snippets, I don’t feel I got to know St. Katharine very much at all after finishing this book. The subject felt a bit distant throughout.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original interest in reading this book was rooted in my mom’s and dad’s educational history. My dad had attended St. Emma’s and my mom the school they called Rock Castle. These schools founded and funded by Mother Katharine Drexel were the place were my parents met. Later as an elementary student my sister and I were sent to the Holy Providence School for Negro Girls. I wanted to know more about the school but learned so much more about the nun who devoted her life to making equal education and civil rights available to Native and African American students. I thank this writer for this well researched and informative book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I did learn a lot about St Katharine Drexel. I knew she grew up rich, but didn't realize just how rich until I read this book. According to the book, when her father passed away, he was the richest man to have ever lived in Philadelphia. He had $15 BILLION.

The book reads like a collection of college essays combined into a book. It was dry reading.

[Themountainbookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not a summer read lounging by the pool. It is intellectually stimulating, well researched and you'll probably learn something reading it. The book written style reminded me of a college dissertation.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does not provide an intimate portrait of St. Katharine Drexel although it is an excellent theological study. The beginning chapters give a quick summary of some of the highlights of her background, raising, and life in the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The book is well written and easy to read, although not overly gripping or enjoyable. This could be helped by providing some account or perspective from those that she helped. The author talks about what St. Katharine did, but not the effects or how those acts made a difference.