Day of Giving for the FSSP Missions

March 3rd marks the birthday into eternal life of St. Katherine Drexel, who was born into a wealthy Philadelphia family but gave up millions to enter the convent.

In January of 1887, she appeared before Pope Leo XIII as an aspiring religious, begging for him to send missionaries to America. But the Pope responded in a statement that would forever change her life:

“Why not become a missionary yourself, my child?”

It may be tempting to let ourselves off the hook by thinking that we, as we go about our daily routines among our families or at our jobs, can admire this holy missionary but not really emulate her.

We would do well, however, to remember St. Katharine as not merely a traveling missionary and foundress, but someone who sustained dozens of missions through the mail.

She kept up a continual correspondence with various missions she took an interest in, usually including a check with her letters. St. Katharine’s charity flowed from her intense contemplative spirituality and love for the Blessed Sacrament. She was famously frugal with her own needs, knowing that by living more simply herself, she could make more of her wealth available for others.

Today is our Day of Giving for the FSSP missions, where each of us can in our own little way emulate St. Katharine Drexel by finding ways to live more simply, being better stewards of the gifts that God has given us, and then extending our blessings to those souls and apostolates who most need it.

And among the latter are the FSSP’s three main missions in Mexico, Colombia, and Nigeria, which we’ve highlighted in this brand-new video as wonderful examples of the positive impact that Catholic tradition is having around the world.

If you are blessed with the means to give alms this Lent, please consider supporting our Day of Giving for the FSSP missions. Donations can be made online at our Mission Tradition website, where you can also find out how to follow the missions and get news and beautiful photos of the mission people and priests.

May God richly bless you this March 3rd. St. Katharine Drexel, ora pro nobis!

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Day of Giving 2021