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“MOTHER KATHARINE DREXEL: A TEACHER TO SOME, A SAINT TO MANY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S9939-S9940 on Oct. 5, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MOTHER KATHARINE DREXEL: A TEACHER TO SOME, A SAINT TO MANY
Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Mother Katharine Drexel. Born into one of the wealthiest families in America in 1858, Mother Katharine turned down a life of privilege to start the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. She dedicated her life to building a brighter future for underprivileged African-American and Native American children.
In honor of her hard work and dedication to the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, on October 1--just 45 years after her death--Pope John Paul II canonized Mother Katharine into sainthood, the highest recognition a Catholic can receive. She is the fifth American to reach this honor, and only the second who was born in America.
The prestigious Xavier University of Louisiana owes its entire existence to Mother Katharine Drexel. When founded in New Orleans in 1925, Xavier's mission was to prepare its students for positions of leadership. Today, Xavier is widely recognized for sending more African-Americans to medical school than any college in America. Its 70 percent medical and dental school acceptance rate is almost twice the national average, and 93 percent of those who enter these programs earn their degree.
Xavier also ranks first nationally in the number of African-American students who earn degrees in biology, physics, pharmacy and the physical sciences. In fact, since 1927 Xavier has graduated nearly 25 percent of the black pharmacists practicing in the United States.
Thousands of Xavier's graduates are prominent scientists, scholars, musicians, and community leaders in Louisiana and across the country. Notable graduates include Department of Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, and retired, four-star Air Force General Bernard Randolph, former head of the Space and Defense Systems Command.
Proof of Mother Katharine's superior works lies in the achievements of three of her former students. One of Mother Katharine's students at Xavier was a young man who shined shoes, but wanted an education. Today, Dr. Norman Francis is president of Xavier University and a nationally recognized leader in higher education.
Another of her former students, Lionel Hampton, found his gift for music under Mother Katharine's tutelage at Xavier. Hampton later earned platinum and gold records, and became the first African-American to play in the Benny Goodman Band. Hampton joined another jazz great and New Orleanian, Louis Armstrong, to play for Pope Pius XII.
Mother Katharine also spread her goodwill elsewhere across the country. When Marie Allen entered Mother Katharine's St. Michael's Indian School in Window Rock, Arizona, she was an impoverished young child who spoke no English. Today, Dr. Marie Allen heads the Navaho Nation Special Diabetes Program to educate Native Americans about diabetes, a deadly disease that plagues American Indian reservations. Even more, over the past 10 years, 90 percent of students graduating from St. Michael's Indian School have gone to college.
These are just three examples of the multitude of students who have been inspired to greatness by Mother Katharine Drexel. In the midst of a hostile culture, she used kindness and compassion to fight injustice and indignities, and in the process forged a brighter future for America's poor and underprivileged.
When Katharine Drexel died at the age of 97 in 1955, more than 500 of her disciples were teaching in 63 schools on American Indian reservations and in African-American communities. This is a true testament to her ability to inspire and lead.
History is full of truly remarkable people whose individual acts of kindness have left an indelible mark on our hearts, our souls and our conscience. Mother Katharine Drexel is no different. Her actions are a true testament to the power of strong religious faith and a moral obligation to those less fortunate.
On behalf of the thousands of people around the world who have been touched by her work, I pay tribute to the life and work of Mother Katharine Drexel. She may have been a teacher to some, but Mother Katharine is a saint to many.
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