Did you know that the Trinity Dome features a litany of saints who are associated with the United States and the National Shrine? From Mother Teresa to St. John Paul II, these heroes of the faith inspire us to pursue the path of holiness. In this second installment of our Saints of the Trinity Dome series, we invite you to learn more about the lives of St. Katharine Drexel, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Read the first post in the Saints of the Trinity Dome series.
Saint Katharine Drexel
Saint Katharine Drexel was the second American-born saint to be canonized and is known for her commitment to racial justice and her educational efforts for minority groups in America. Katharine was born into an affluent Philadelphia banking family in 1858. During her family’s travels across the western United States, Katharine was struck by the poor living conditions endured by Native Americans on reservations. She decided to use her inheritance to establish the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1913. She was an unflagging advocate for minorities, crusading for better educational opportunities and standing against racial discrimination and injustice. In 1894, she opened the first mission school for Native Americans in New Mexico, and in 1915, she founded Xavier University, an institution of higher learning for African Americans in New Orleans.
By the start of World War II, she had founded schools for African Americans in 13 states, and 50 schools for Native Americans in 16 states. Katharine lived to be 97, and was canonized in 2000. She is the patroness of racial justice and philanthropists and is portrayed in the Hall of American Saints, the Trinity Dome, and the Crypt Church sacristy.
Saint Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne
On August 29, 1769, Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, France. When she was 18, she joined the Convent of the Visitation of Saint Marie d’en Haut as a novice. A few years later in 1804, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a novice. There, she felt a deep calling to pursue missions; in a letter to Mother Barat, she once wrote:
“I spent the entire night in the new World … carrying the Blessed Sacrament to all parts of the land … I had all my sacrifices to offer: a mother, sisters, family, my mountain! When you say to me ‘now I send you.’ I will respond quickly ‘I go.’”
Despite the sense of urgency she felt, Philippine was unable to pursue foreign missions until 12 years later. In 1818, she traveled to St. Charles, Missouri with five other women to found the first order of the Society of the Sacred Heart outside of France. The mission was not without challenges: Philippine had trouble learning English and interacting with the Native Americans, and also faced financial difficulties. She founded the first free school west of the Mississippi that year, and within the decade, founded six houses.
In 1852, Philippine passed away at age 83. She is honored in the Basilica in a statue in Memorial Hall and in the Trinity Dome mosaic. In 1988, Rose Philippine Duchesne became the fourth citizen of the United States to be canonized.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
The first native-born American citizen to be canonized as a saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton is best known for her role in starting children’s parochial education in America. Born on August 28, 1774, on Staten Island, Elizabeth was originally raised in the tradition of the Episcopalian church. After spending time in Italy, she was struck by the beauty of Catholicism, and converted in 1805. Following her husband’s premature death, Elizabeth started a Catholic school for girls in Baltimore, Maryland, at the request of a priest. Elizabeth’s most lasting impact, however, was the founding of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph’s in 1809 – the first religious order in America. This order not only helped hospitals and orphans, but also established the parochial education system in America. Elizabeth’s devotion to educating children and caring for the less fortunate has had an impact lasting well beyond her own life.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is depicted on the exterior tympana of the west façade, the Hall of American Saints, Miraculous Medal Chapel window, Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, and the Trinity Dome Mosaic.
Sources:
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley
The Basilica Guidebook, Dr. Geraldine Rohling
The Way of Saints, Dr. Tom Cowan