The Woman Who Prays Always

Today is the Feast of an American saint, Rose Philippine Duchesne. Mother Duchesne came to the United States from France in 1818 and settled in St. Charles, Missouri - just northwest of St. Louis. There, she established the first school for girls west of the Mississippi River.

Later, in 1841, at the age of 72, she traveled to Sugar Creek, Kansas to found a school for Pottawatomie girls. Ultimately, her attempt failed - however, it was there amongst the Native Americans that she earned the title of "The Woman Who Prays Always" - a testament to her unshakable faith, even in the face of failure.

She died on November 18, 1852 in St. Charles. She was beatified in 1940, and later declared a saint in 1988.

I'm often surprised and a little saddened that most American Catholics are unaware of the saints who called our country home. We cannot forget or ignore the sacrifice they made in building up the Church in the United States. While many people flock to the tombs of European saints, the shrines of our own American saints are relatively empty.


Construction of the Shrine Church of Rose Philippine Duchesne began in 1952 in St. Charles, MO. Funds began to run short, and the church was never completed. The shrine was originally designed to be in the traditional shape of a cross, however, the present, uncompleted structure is in the shape of a stubby "T."

A fair amount of controversy surrounds the 1964 renovation of the shrine church by noted artist William Schickel. However, I feel this renovation has resulted in a much needed sense of permanence in an otherwise unfinished structure.


While many complain that the building is "too plain," it is essential to understand Mr. Schickel's philosophy of design and his intent. This renovation was intended to reflect the austereness of Mother Duchesne's spirituality as well as her experience on the plains. It's truly a building one must enter into, rather than just look at.


The earthly remains of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne are enclosed within a simple marble sarcophagus in a side alcove. The crucifix above her tomb once hung in the convent in France where she attended school as a child.

On display are a chair, which Mother Duchesne repaired herself and a coal burning foot warmer which she once used. Another testament to her austere experience of life on the plains.

"You may dazzle the mind with a thousand brilliant discoveries of natural science; you may open new worlds of knowledge which were never dreamed of before; yet if you have not developed in the soul of the pupil strong habits of virtue which will sustain him in the struggle of life, you have not educated him, but only put in his hand a powerful instrument of self-destruction."

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, pray for us!

Saints on Halloween!

The Feast of St. Odilia

In thinking about the litany of my patron saints, it seems that I gravitate towards those of the lesser known variety and even the obscure.

Today's feast of St. Odilia probably falls into the obscure category - her feast day isn't even on the liturgical calender and is only celebrated in a handful of places around the United States.

St. Odilia, British by birth, was one of eleven virgins martyred in Cologne around the year 300 - and then forgotten about for roughly one thousand years. In 1287 a Crosier brother, John Novelan discovered her relics in a field near Cologne. Thus, St. Odilia became the patroness of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers).

Because of various wars and revolutions, her relics were moved to a number of different churches throughout Europe until 1949 when they were returned to the Crosier Monastery in Diest, Belgium.

In 1952 a major relic was brought to the Crosier's United States Motherhouse in Onamia, Minnesota. There, a shrine was built in her honer. The windows in the shrine depict the long and storied history of St. Odilia and her order. Letters testifying to prayers answered through her intercession fill the area around her relic. She is especially invoked by those suffering from vision problems.


It was in Onamia that I first encountered St. Odilia. For a time the Crosiers had a monastery in Hastings, Nebraska. (The monastery has been redeveloped into a business park and the chapel is now used by the Hispanic and Vietnamese Catholic communities of Hastings.) My grandparents had become good friends with a number of the priests there, so I wanted to see their American headquarters.

Though the shine is quite simple, there is definitely an aura about it. I didn't have any sort of "religious" or emotional experience there, but I did feel drawn to the place. I said a prayer, grabbed a few pieces of literature and headed off. Once I got home and started reading through the pamphlets, I realized that St. Odilia's feastday is July 18 - my birthday.

All powerful Father, you alone are Holy; without you nothing is good. I come before you, trusting in your love for me and praying to you through the intercession of St. Odilia, Virgin and Martyr. I ask you to help me become the person you have called me to be. I ask this with the same trust that inspired St. Odilia to leave her home in order to follow Christ more closely. Father, increase my confidence in your love for me. I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

The Feast of St. Benedict

Once again, I had the privilege of celebrating the feast of St. Benedict at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN. It's always a joy for me to partake in the liturgies of this day with the monks of St. John's.

Benedict has long been a favorite of mine because of his practical spirituality and emphasis on the importance of prayer AND work.

I won't go into too much detail about Benedict and his Holy Rule, as I suspect I'll be posting items about them enough in the future.

I celebrated today by touring a number of churches in the area. Photos to come soon!

Happy feast day! St. Benedict, pray for us!