St. Katherine of Drexel - Patronage of racial justice, philanthropy

1858-1955

Feast Day: March 3

She was born to a wealthy Philadelphia family who were religious and philanthropic. Through her travels she became sensitive to the horrors and plight of Native and African Americans. She entered religious life, eventually establishing the order of The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She dedicated her fortunes to the education of these oppressed minorities. She established 62 schools for them and 145 missions.

“If there is prejudice in the mind we must uproot it or it will pull us down.”

“If we wish to serve God and Love our neighbors well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to him and them. Let us open our hearts. It is joy that invites us. Press forward and do not fear.”

“Kindness is the natural fruit of goodness of the heart.”

About the Artist

Lynn Garlick started carving, painting, and producing her retablos in 1993. Her workshop is located in the high desert town of Taos, New Mexico, a landscape richly steeped in religious iconography and history. The retablo, or ʻboard behind the alterʼ, was originally created in New Mexico in the 1800ʼs in response to the lack of Bibles and Icons being sent from the church in Rome. The Santero (saint maker) painted retablos from pigment collected and ground from the local surroundings. The boards were hand hewed usually of ponderosa pine or tin. The practice has carried down through the generations and is still done this way today. Lynn paints her originals retablos on traditional pine boards carving and then paints them. To create her production work the images are mounted on baltic birch.