Katharine was born into a family that had moved from being poor Austrian immigrants to wealthy bankers in two generations, typical of the American success story in the 19th century. Katharine was fascinated about her namesake St.Catherine and she was determined to become a nun herself. She entered the convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburg in 1888.

She later founded her own congregation the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She died in the 1950’s, the decade that saw American society begin to take seriously the human rights issues she had pursued for so long. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Nov 20th 1988 and canonized by him in St.Peter’s on 1st Oct 2000.

Today is her feastday and we ask her many blessings on us. Amen