Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
This week, the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint. Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri was born in 1656 in what is now upstate New York, the daughter of a Mohawk father and an Algonquin Catholic mother. Her young life was marked by suffering: she lost her parents and brother to a smallpox epidemic, which also left her partially blind and physically scarred.
Despite these hardships, Kateri’s heart was drawn to God. She was introduced to the Christian faith by Jesuit missionaries and was baptized at age 20, taking the name Catherine—Kateri, in her native Mohawk. Her decision to follow Christ brought her persecution and isolation from her village. Yet she remained steadfast in her love for Jesus, especially in the Eucharist, and devoted herself to a life of prayer, chastity, and care for the sick and elderly.
Kateri eventually fled to a Christian settlement in Kahnawake (near modern-day Montreal), where she lived a life of deep holiness. She died in 1680 at just 24 years old. Witnesses reported that her scarred face became radiant and miraculously clear shortly after her death—a sign of the beauty of her soul.
Pope Benedict XVI canonized Kateri in 2012, recognizing her as a model of faith, courage, and purity. She is the patroness of ecology, Native Americans, and those who suffer from physical illness or ostracism.
As we remember Saint Kateri this week, may her witness inspire us to seek holiness in our own lives, to stand firm in faith despite adversity, and to recognize Christ present in every person, no matter their background or wounds. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly