# Saint Katherine Drexel + Shoofly Pie + Fill the Need Welcome to Cooking with Catholic History where in each posting we talk about Catholic people and/or events and a related topic, as well as look at one of my personal takes on recipes. This time we’re talking about Saint Katherine Drexel, Fill the Need, and Shoofly Pie. You’ll love it! # Saint Katherine Drexel Before I get farther in, I want to do a quick shout out to Saint Katherine Drexel Parish in Alton New Hampshire. We enjoyed their hospitality during our honeymoon and then again during the first month after our firstborn was let out of the NICU after birth. They were a blessing, wonderfully welcoming, and a grace to us. Onto Saint Katherine Drexel. Born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of a wealthy international banker. As a child both of her parents were examples of faith. Her father, the banker, was known to spend half an hour or more in prayer each night. Her mother would make their home available to the poor a few times each week. Inspiring on their own, aren’t they? At one point Saint Katherine Drexel was given an audience with the pope. Having been greatly touched by her reading of the plight of the Native Americans she requested that he send more missionaries. Pope Leo XIII gave a reply she didn’t expect “why don’t you become a missionary?” His question, perhaps itself an immediate answer to her request or perhaps the Holy Spirit moving as He often does. Upon returning to America Katerine met with both Sioux and Dakotas and started making connections and providing aid to missions. In 1889 on the Feast of Saint Joseph she dedicated herself to God and religious life. Recall, her father was a wealthy international banker, so wealthy that her dedication to poverty made news for giving up $7-million. A financial calculation based on inflation and purchasing power brings that to a modern equivalent of just about $246.6 million today give or take. Taking three years for training, Mother Drexel and her nuns opened a boarding school in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Over the next 48 years she would start numerous Black Catholic schools, over 40 mission centers, 23 rural schools, including 50 missions for Native Americans. As we know, throughout history there have always, and unfortunately may always be in this world, people who don’t love God enough to love others, to recognize no matter the ethnicity God made them and loves them so we should too. Attacks came upon several of the institutions Saint Katherine Drexel and her nuns set up from people who didn’t want Native Americans or African Americans having access to education reading or writing. At one point they even burned one school. In 1935 she suffered a heart attack at 77 years old. This didn’t stop the Grace of God working in Katherine, instead it changed how she worked. She was forced to retire and directed herself to a time of prayer. Over the next 20 years this prayer would be ceaseless with some of it written down in journals or notes. With her residence overlooking the sanctuary what a more wonderful place to dwell and labor in faith out of love! How beautiful! # Shoofly Pie With Saint Katherine Drexel having been born in Pennsylvania it’s an excuse for me to dip into my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, and so I’m rolling out my Shoofly Pie recipe. It’s one of my wife’s favorite’s and you’ll enjoy every bite. **Prep Time:** 15 minutes **Baking Time:** approximately 45 minutes **Servings:** 8 slices ## **Materials & Equipment** _Equipment_ - oven preheated to 350F - bowl and implements for mixing ingredients - container/means to boil 1 cup of water ## _Ingredients_ - pie crust (bottom only, can be pre-made or home made) - 2 Cups AP flour - ½ cup olive oil - ½ lb brown sugar - 1 cup **boiling** water - ½ cup molasses - 1 tsp baking soda ## **Prep** 1. Blind bake the pie crust ## **Cooking** 1. Mix flour, oil, and brown sugar until a crumb 2. split crumb mixture in half 3. to one half of the mixture add the remaining ingredients and stir until fairly well combined 4. pour into crust 5. top with remaining crumb 6. bake about 45 minutes 7. Thank God and remember He loves you! # Fill the Need for Mercy When we see a need for mercy that is unfilled touching our hearts that can be a movement of the Holy Spirit tugging us to fill the need. Saint Katherine Drexel was touched by the needs for education. She was touched that not enough people were answering the call. It took Pope Leo XIII giving her a reflection to inspire the realization that she was called because she saw the need. Now, these things didn’t happen as instantly as a few lines on a page can feel. Saint Katherine was touched for a while before she met the Pope. Then she reflected on his question and talked with those she trusted with topics of theological importance like Bishop O’Connor. It was with that reflection and guidance of the Holy Spirit while moving forward, she wasn’t stationary or passive while reflecting, for as Saint Padre Pio pointed out: _“In the spiritual life he who does not advance goes backward. It happens as with a boat which always must go ahead. If it stands still the wind will blow it back.” -Saint Padre Pio_ So, what can we adopt from this holy example? When we see a need and it touches our heart take note, don’t discard it. If you can meet the need immediately perhaps you should. Ask the Holy Spirit. If you cannot meet the need promptly again pray on it, reflect on it. If you are familiar with Ignatian, Salesian, or other discernment examine the pull on your heart under that lens. Speak with a spiritual advisor, one skilled to do so, and act accordingly. “ _We have only one life and we should spend it for Jesus Christ and souls, not as we wish, but at the time and in the way God wishes. It would show presumption and neglect of our duty and God’s service to fail to do this.” – Saint Charles Borromeo_ I would advise you not to doubt that Saint Katherine Drexel probably noticed other needs in her journeying. Some she may have met quickly, such as helping a passing person in need as you may expect given her Vocation and her upbringing. Yet, she didn’t divert from her focus. Similarly, I would advise the same of yourself. “ _Very often, says the glorious St. Bernard, the evil one deludes us, and to distract us from achieving some good, he proposes another that seems better. After we have started the second one, to to divert us from completing it, he presents us with a third. He is satisfied if we make many beginnings, provided we never finish anything.” -Finding God’s Will for You by Saint Francis de Sales_ This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a job you do during the day serving one group or need and another supporting on the night or weekend for another. Likewise, working to pay the bills and having a slow progress in a good work by God’s grace is no shame. Similarly, supporting individuals and groups to provide resources, even your own skill or time to varied causes of the faith if your heart hasn’t been touched or you are discerning is of no shame no matter what the world says. Recall and hold close to your heart: “ _Do not try to please everybody. Try to please God, the angels, and the saints — they are your public.” -Saint Jean-Marie Vianney, Cure d’Ars_ If you do find more causes that touch you while pursuing a good. Make note. Write it down. Finish one thing at a time. So that good may be done for the glory of God then pursue the next. Remember God loves you! I keep you all and your intentions in my prayers daily.