St Katharine Drexel (1858 - 1955) who died 55 years ago today. She was born in Philadephia to a rich banking family. In 1889, at the age of 33, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, dedicated to mission work among Indians and black people. (A survey of the situation in the United States at this time described “250,000 Indians neglected, if not practically abandoned, and over nine million of negroes still struggling through the aftermath of slavery”). She spent her entire life and her entire fortune to this work, opening schools, founding a university, and funding many chapels, convents and monasteries. She died on 3 March 1955, by which time there were more than 500 Sisters teaching in 63 schools throughout the United States.
I'm curious how many of these sisters still exist? So, I looked them up. "Our special concern is for the poor and oppressed especially among the Native American, African American and Haitian peoples," the sisters say on their Web site, www.katharinedrexel.org. "We are 'building up' the Body of Christ through prayer, counseling, education, health care, social work and other corporal & spiritual works of mercy." I'm too lazy to go look up how many sisters actually are still active in the ministry. I'm guessing a LOT fewer.
One of my boys likened me to a cartoon character.. Cluckie from Disney's Robin Hood movie. I'm thinking: many religious sisters would also mirror Cluckie's many fine attributes. Long live the Cluckie's of the world. The world needs MORE of them! www.youtube.com and Cluckie.
No comments:
Post a Comment