When we truly encounter Christ, we cannot help but be radically changed. We see this pattern repeated throughout history. St. Matthew, the tax collector, turns from his corrupt life and becomes a disciple of Jesus. The woman at the well leaves behind her life of lustful, broken relationships and thirsts only for living water. Zacchaeus climbs down from the tree and promises to give half of his possessions to the poor and pay back four times as much to anyone he had cheated. The same radical change was true for the St. Katharine Drexel.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 26, 1858, Katharine was welcomed into a philanthropic, affluent, devout Catholic family. The Drexels were one of the wealthiest families in the entire country at the time (her great-grandfather founded the firm that eventually became Drexel Burnham Lambert, and her grandfather, who partnered with J. P. Morgan, founded Drexel, Morgan & Co., later renamed J. P. Morgan). Though Katharine lived a life of luxury, from a young age she experienced a desire to live as a religious sister. However, her parents and Father — later Bishop — James O’Connor advised against it as they did not believe Katharine would be capable of adjusting to a life of simplicity. And in a sense, Katharine agreed, as she confessed in her journal: “I do not know how I could bear the privations of poverty of the religious life. I have never been deprived of luxuries.” Years passed, full of European trips, rigorous education, galas, the admiration of countless suitors (Kitty, as she was affectionately called, was the prettiest of all her sisters), and fine food and clothes. Still, this deep longing for a life that consisted of something more substantial, more meaningful, than what she was surrounded by, did not dissipate.

This is the latest installment of the series, “The Genius of My Sister.” Read other articles in the series to learn more about Catholic women throughout history and how they can inspire us today.