By Joseph Myers • Posted November 21, 2023

Bill Rose has long believed that Saint Katharine Drexel set a God-centered example that has served as “a blessing to many spiritual children.” This Sunday, Nov. 26 at 2:00 p.m., her figurative kin will have a free opportunity to thank the Philadelphia-born founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for that guidance when Rose presents “The Total Gift: A Katharine Drexel Story,” a documentary that explores its subject’s dedication to the marginalized.

“We wanted to do her spiritual justice,” Rose said of the 23-minute work by Joyful Films, his Emmy Award-winning video production company whose website proclaims that its output places “particular emphasis on the joyfulness that flows from God” and means to follow “Him in the Christian life.” “She is interceding in our world today, and we want to draw more people to appreciate her work.”

Given her background, Saint Katharine Drexel had zero need to exert herself at all. As an heiress to a banking fortune, she could have lived a life of lavish ease, but she chose differently. The Joyful Films’ product makes evident that Saint Katharine equated silence to compliance when it came to the plight of African Americans and indigenous people on the North American continent. The piece, whose screening will occur at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, home to the Shrine of Saint Katharine Drexel, reiterates that all deserve dignity and that no one should ever feel excluded from God’s table.

“I think that call to inclusivity is what’s helping believers to appreciate her present-day relevance,” Rose stated, using the table imagery to reflect on Saint Katharine’s devotion to the Eucharist.

That unwavering bond with the Body and Blood of Christ provided inspiration for the film’s title, “Ours is the spirit of the Eucharist, the total gift of self.”

“She’s a powerful figure in the communion of saints,” Gina Ingiosi said. “She made clear that we have to discover a path to God and then follow it each day, regardless of barriers, as they’re a gift that shouldn’t take away from our gratitude.”

As the Associate Director of the Saint Katharine Drexel Shrine, Ingiosi appreciates that come Sunday, which marks the saint’s 165th birthday, everyone will be able to see how she never shied away from persevering in the name of God. In her eyes, no heart deserved to go untouched, as evidenced through many gestures, including the provision of an estimated $20 million to build churches, missions, and schools for the downtrodden.

“There is so much to admire about her,” Ingiosi said of Saint Katharine Drexel, noting how much she treasured connections with people over material things. Her simple lifestyle included using pencils until they had become nubs. “At the heart of everything was standing up and going on for your faith. What a great example that gives us during a time when so many people feel like outcasts.”

As for the content of the documentary, Rose, who co-produced the film with Gus DeSimone, aimed for as much authenticity as possible. Actress Sarah Carpenter was fortunate enough to don one of Saint Katharine’s black-and-white habits and use one of those aforementioned pencil nubs.

“In telling her story, we wanted to focus on the spiritual impact she had during her lifetime and continues to have today,” he said. “I think she reminds us that we can all be leaders in our communities. Nobody is above the task of helping someone.”