This is the day that a strong and courageous woman completed her mission. Katherine Drexel, a native Philadelphian, did much for the poor, especially African American and Native American people.
A little over one hundred years ago, 1891, Katherine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Two priest friends have had a special relationship to Sister Katherine. Jesuit Father David Madden, now in heaven, had an aunt who was Sister Katherine's secretary. When only a few weeks old, little David was carried to the motherhouse of the Sisters for his aunt to see the new Madden boy. Sister immediately took David to meet Mother Katherine. After some conversation, the sisters took Dave to the convent chapel. There Mother Katherine placed Dave on the altar and offered a prayer that God would lead through his invitation this baby to become a priest. And that became true. Dave was a great story teller of different events in the Drexel collection of events that made many laugh.
The second person who did much for Mother Katherine Drexel was the priest who did much to help me make the move from the Society of Jesus to the diocesan clergy, Msgr. James McGrath. At the age of 89, Jim died one week before my mother died in April. Within 24 hours of my celebrating the committal service at the cemetery for Jim McGrath, my mother left us and joined Jim and many of my friends.
Jim did much of the preparatory work for the canonization of Mother Drexel since he was so well versed in the process having done years of work to bring a successful petition for the canonization of St. John Newman (Neumann).
For years I listened to story after story about Newman and Drexel. It was amazing how the work for their canonization made such an impact upon my friend's life.
Twice in his life, in the later years, Jim was on life support systems. After the first use of the mechanical life giver, Jim's brothers told me to get his old parish altered for the funeral because the doctor felt Jim would die immediately after the machinery was stopped. About two weeks or less than that later Jim walked out of the hospital. Some years later the same situation occurred. This time the McGraths decided not to even consider the removal of the tube from their brother. They would wait and see. One brother asked Jim's Jewish doctor if he thought the brother had another chance of survival. The doctor replied: "This man had much to do with making saints. I suspect they are the trump cards in his hands. No prediction from me. Do you think I would counter two saints!!!" And the doctor was correct. A few days later Jim was leaving the hospital.
Having saints as our friends is surely a welcomed power and strength.
