Name: St Kateri Tekakwitha

Birth/death: Birth:1656 Death: 1680

Patron Saint of the environment and ecology

Feast Day: July 14

Bio: St Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church. She was born in 1656, in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon. Her mother was Algonquin, who was captured by the Mohawks and who took a Mohawk chief for her husband.

Kateri contracted smallpox as a four-year-old child which scarred her skin. The scars were a source of humiliation in her youth. She was commonly seen wearing a blanket to hide her face. Worse, her entire family died during the outbreak. Kateri was raised by her uncle, who was the chief of a Mohawk clan.

Kateri was known as a skilled worker, who was diligent and patient. However, she refused to marry. When her adoptive parents proposed a suitor to her, she refused! They punished her by giving her more work to do, but she did not give in. Instead, she remained quiet and diligent. Eventually they were forced to relent and accept that she had no interest in marriage.

At age 19, Kateri converted to Catholicism. This decision was unpopular with adoptive parents and their neighbours. To avoid persecution, she travelled to a Christian native community south of Montreal. Legend has it that Kateri was very devout and prayed for her fellow Mohawks to follow her and convert to Christianity. Kateri’s baptismal name is “Catherine” which in the Haudenosaunee language is “Kateri”.

Kateri brought her indigenous worldview to her newfound faith that involved relationships built on reciprocity, respect and responsibility that extended to the entire natural world. It is a world view of giving thanks daily for the life and the world around us. She would often be found in the woods alone, speaking to and listening to God through nature.

Kateri health started to deteriorate, probable due to her childhood illness. Sadly, just five years after her conversion to Christianity, she passed away at the age of 24. She is also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks” and the “Beautiful Flower Among True Men”.

Kateri is recognised for her heroic faith, virtue, and love of God and people, in the face of adversity and rejection, as well as her close connection with the natural world around her.

Quote:

“Be assured that you are pleasing in the sight of God and that I shall help you when I am with Him”

 – St Kateri Tekakwitha