BEAUMONT, Texas — On February 12, Katharine Drexel vowed to be the first sister of the Blessed Sacrament, where the sister educated black and Native American peoples.
Members of the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont still tell stories of St. Katharine Drexel protecting her schools from the KKK to this day.
"Myself, my sister and my brother all went to Blessed Sacrament School," said Morline Guillory, Co-Director of Multi-Cultural Ministries for the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont.
Guillory says that Katharine Drexel got permission to become religious in 1889 from Bishop James O'Connor.
"She asked to start schools, building schools in the United States for Black and Indians," Guillory said.
The journey to achieve these goals was not easy for Katherine Drexel, she needed the Pope's blessing and segregation was at it's peak.
"She went several times, and then they finally gave her permission to do it. She was a lady of great wealth and she used her own money to make sure that schools were built," said Guillory.
Local African American people like James Leonard Broussard were able to to receive a private school education thanks to these efforts.
"They didn't have anything available for us back then," Broussard told 12News.
Broussard attended Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Beaumont from 1st through 12th grade, which was founded by Mother Drexel in 1917.
"Well I think it was good because everybody that was in there looked like me. We understood each other," said Broussard.
At the school Broussard learned valuable lessons.
"I believe that success comes from discipline, and we got disciplined," said Broussard.
These lessons helped Broussard for years to come who after graduating in 1957, owned and operated Broussard's BBQ for 30 years.
"Had a business, very successful business. I attribute it to the discipline I had as a young person," said Broussard.
After the success of Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Beaumont St. Drexel and then those who came after her established Sacred Heart Catholic School in Port Arthur in 1927, and St. Therese Catholic School in Orange in 1945.
"We found that we were more advanced in a lot of areas because we got that personal attention, and also sisters that were very stern in the way they taught," said Guillory.
Sadly all the schools were closed in the early 1970's, but through people like James Broussard and Morline Guillory, their legacy and the legacy of St. Katherine Drexel lives on.