And for my local readers there is a LOUISIANA CONNECTION!!!
The amazing United States Catholic History blog , McNamara's Blog , has another wonderful post up. If you are a home schooler or teach history in a Catholic School or teach CCD I hope this is a regular stop for you.
Today he has a post up on Saint Drexel. It is not often a person comes into a religious order with 20 million dollars but she did.
She was particularly interested in ministering to Native Americans and African-Americans, but no religious community was specifically engaged in this work. So she decided to start her own. In 1891 the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People was founded. Known as "the Millionaire Nun," during her lifetime she spent some twenty million dollars of her money (in this respect, a reconciliation with the vow of poverty was worked out for her) on some sixty missions for African-Americans and Native Americans.........
Twenty Million and this is in 1891 Dollars.
As he pointed out this Sister founded the famous Xavier University in New Orleans!!! With Louisiana's significant balck Catholic population it would be interesting to see all the contributions she made in my State.
Update- Pro Ecclesia has a Nice post with links here at Feast of St. Katharine Drexel - 3 March
Update II-
Ville Platte Catholic Youth Group has a great post here at St. Katharine Drexel, Patroness of Racial Justice (It gives more Louisiana connections)
James,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all: man, you're prolific. You do a great job of posting. And the variety is wonderful.
About St. Katharine Drexel: I have another connection to Louisiana to report.
St. Katharine herself probably established a chapel right here in Evangeline Parish (in Mamou).
The pastor of St. Anne's in Mamou - Fr. Bryce Sibley - mentioned it at his Lenten mission last night; and he left a comment about it in the combox on my post.
I hope to have more information after I talk to him tonight.