Drexel House
Let Us Open Up Our Hearts
Saint Katharine Drexel
Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 26, 1858. During a trip to Europe in 1887, Katharine met Pope Leo XIII and asked him if he knew of a religious order that could work in the institutions she funded. The Pope recommended she establish her own missionary group. Together with some Sisters of Mercy, Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. They opened and funded schools on reservations and in the southwestern United States and New Orleans. Katharine Drexel was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.
House Crest & Identity
“Let us open wide our hearts.”
— House Motto (Represented by the Sacred Heart)Three United Rings
Represents unity and echoes the House slogan: “The strength of the pack is the wolf; the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
The Open Book
Honors her lifelong dedication to education and her founding of schools for underserved communities.
Hands Around the Chalice
Symbol of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Each hand represents one of the four Duchesne houses working together, centered on Christ.
