Kateri was born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon around the year 1656. She was given the name “Tekakwitha,” which means “she who bumps into things.” Her mother was an Algonquin who married the Mohawk chief. Kateri’s mother was baptized as a Roman Catholic before she was captured and brought to the Mohawk village.
When she was four, a small pox epidemic hit her village and many people died, including all of Kateri’s family. Kateri survived the illness, but she was left with a scared face and impaired eyesight. She kept her face covered in order to hide her scars, as is caused humiliation for her. After her family died, Kateri was raised by her father’s sister and her husband.
Kateri was ten years old when the French attacked her village. Her tribe signed a peace treaty with the French and allowed Jesuit missionaries to live amoung them. Her uncle did not want her to associate with the missionaries, because he did not want Kateri to convert to Christianity. When she was thirteen, during an attack from a rival tribe, Kateri helped one of the missionary priests, Fr. Jean Pierron, tend to the sick, bury the dead, and bring food and water to the defending warriors.
Kateri is remembered as being patient and modest, as well as being skilled in many areas of work. Around the age of thirteen, her family found a suitor for her, but she did not want to get married. To punish her, they gave her more work to do, but she completed her work diligently. Eventually her family gave up trying to get her to marry.
While she was injured in bed one day, Kateri told Fr. Jacques de Lamberville that she wanted to become a Christian, and from that day, he taught her the catechism. From Lamberville’s writings, we have learned that Kateri wanted to do all she could to be holy in her community, and this often lead to conflict with her family. Kateri was baptized on Easter Sunday, April 18th, 1676 at the age of nineteen. She took the name “Catherine” (Kateri), after St. Catherine of Siena. Following her baptism, many people in her tribe looked at her with anger and hatred. She lived with her tribe for another 6 months before journeying to the Jesuit mission outside of Montreal at Fr. Lamberville’s suggestion.
Kateri would often offer up her own suffering as penance for the sins of her family and herself. She would eat little, sleep on thorns, and burn herself. These were traditional practices for thanksgiving in the Mohawk tribes. Sometimes she would take her penance to extremes, and Fr. Chauchetière told her that penance must be used in moderation. From then on, she continued to do penance, but only to the degrees that the priest would allow.
When she was around 24 or 25, Kateri became very ill. Knowing she wouldn’t last long, the priests performed last rites, and many of her friends and fellow Catholics surrounded her. Her last words were, “Jesus, Mary, I love you.” After she passed away on Holy Wednesday, April 17, 1680, Kateri’s physical appearance changed. The scars from her smallpox disappeared, and her face became very beautiful. Kateri is said to have appeared to three of her friends after death. Fr. Chauchetière, one of the three, built a chapel near her gravesite, and by 1684, people were making pilgrimages there. Kateri is often called the “Lily” due to her vow of chastity, which is also associated with Our Mother Mary.
Activities to Try:
+ Pray to St. Kateri that we can seek the faith, even if those around us turn away from us.
St. Kateri
St. Kateri, Star of the Native People and Bright Light for all!
We thank God for your heroic courage, constant perseverance and deep love of the Cross.
Pray for us that our love for Christ may deepen.
And may we imitate you in following God’s Will even when difficulties arise.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
St. Kateri
Pray for Us
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