A Message from our Pastoral Administrator

With the presidential election approaching there is much talk about making America great again. On 3 March we celebrate the second American born woman to be named a saint: St. Katharine Drexel. Katharine Drexel was born into immense family wealth, and her family regularly engaged in charitable efforts. But it was a visit to Pope Leo XIII and her request that the Pope send missionaries to assist with the Native American missions in New Mexico and Arizona that was to change her life: the Pope responded by asking her to become that missionary. Deeply moved, Katharine entered religious life to the shock of the social elite of Philadelphia, eventually establishing a new religious order known as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament whose work was to focus on African American and Native American young people. (Click on the headline or image to read more)

Her legacy is remarkable: she founded many mission schools in remote parts of the southwest, and in 1915 founded Xavier University in New Orleans which was dedicated to providing college education for African Americans in that region. While St. Katharine died in 1955 at the age of 96, her religious sisters continue to serve African American and Native American students in 21 states and Haiti.

St. Katharine’s life and work was dedicated to the two pillars of Catholic Social Teaching: a greater concern for the common good and promoting respect for the dignity of all human life. Her work has positively impacted and continues to have great impact on the lives of countless young people. Her work in a most powerful way answers the question “What will make America great again?” The answer is a greater concern for the common good and unyielding respect for the dignity of all human life.

Some thirty years ago, Pope St. John Paul II addressed this same question when departing from the United States after his Apostolic Visit in 1987. In his farewell message at the Detroit airport he praised the great beauty of the United States and spoke of our true greatness. His words continue to ring true today:

…your greatest beauty and your richest blessing is found in the human person: in each man, woman and child, in every immigrant, in every native-born son and daughter. For this reason, America, your deepest identity and truest character as a nation is revealed in the position you take towards the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.

The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee the right to life and protect the human person:
- feeding the poor and welcoming refugees;
- reinforcing the social fabric of this nation;
- promoting the true advancement of women;
- securing the rights of minorities;
- pursuing disarmament, while guaranteeing legitimate defense…

What actions are we given the ability and grace to take in the next weeks and months ahead that will truly make America great again? Let us prayerfully consider this question as we continue our Lenten journey.