Eucharistic spirituality and social justice in the life of St Katharine Drexel

St Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) blazed a trail in the United States of America. Fearlessly moving ahead to provide relief and education for children including the racially excluded she linked devotion to the Blessed Sacrament to work for social justice and relief of poverty.

She came from one of the wealthiest families in America and inherited a substantial fortune. Yet she chose religious life and dedicated her inheritance to missions, schools and works among Nat
ive American and African American communities.

When searching for her vocation she went to Pope Leo XIII seeking more missionaries for Native American missions she was already supporting financially. The Pope responded: ‘Why not, my child, yourself become a missionary?’

Founder of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament she lived a life entirely ‘poured out for others’. Though there are many parallels to the spirituality of St Peter Julian Emyard, the congregation established by St Katharine is different to that established by St Peter Julian (the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament) as well as to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament established in 1715 by Blessed Peter Vigne. From the same eucharistic sources various congregations of women have undertaken different missions.

The work of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament founded by St Katharine is well summarised here.  Their threefold vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are characterised by a voluntary emptying of oneself, a love for all and a loving surrender to the Father’s will. Anchored in a life of prayer and apostolic love, the Sisters are committed to:

• to proclaim the Good News with zeal and enthusiasm;
• to support the empowerment and self-determination of the people;
• to oppose all forms of racism.
• to promote justice including environmental justice — we cannot ignore the unequal impacts environmental degradation has on low-income communities.

For them, this is what living the Eucharist means.  The Vatican website has this to say about St Katharine:

Always a woman of intense prayer, Katharine found in the Eucharist the source of her love for the poor and oppressed and of her concern to reach out to combat the effects of racism.

I suggest that we could do with many more religious and lay people following the example of St Katharine.  An important point to take away from all of the above is that a strong and emphatic eucharistic spirituality may inspire many different works and apostolates reflecting the giftedness that makes up the entire Body of Christ.

Her feast day, in the USA, is 3 March.

Ever loving God, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the Black and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your Church, that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [Source is here]