Drexel, Saint Katharine (1858-1955), was the second person born in the United States to be recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. She was canonized (declared a saint) in 2000. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first, canonized in 1975.
Catherine Mary Drexel was born on Nov. 26, 1858, in Philadelphia into a wealthy and socially prominent family. She later changed the spelling of her first name to Katharine. She used her inherited wealth to sponsor mission schools and churches throughout the United States. These institutions served Native American and African American communities. Drexel took her religious vows in 1891. That same year, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She directed the religious order for more than 40 years. She died on March 3, 1955.
