This month, we are focusing on the Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Although Kateri was born in 1656 at Ossernenon, near modern Auriesville in New York, surprisingly, many of her life experiences were similar to our current experiences. However, in spite of, and maybe because of all the challenges of her life, she developed a deep spirituality and became the first Native American woman of North America to be canonized by the Catholic Church.
(Image from CatholicSaintMedals.com)
Kateri's mother, Kahenta was of the Algonquin Tribe and a Christian. During a raid by some Mohawks, she was captured and enslaved among Mohawks. However, she was being closely observed by Kenneronkwa, a Mohawk chief, who was impressed with her kindness and forbearance in the midst of difficult circumstances. Eventually, he fell in love with her and chose to marry her. Thus, Kahenta was adopted into his tribe. Kateri was the first of their children.
Kateri was born into a world where one group fought
against the other and frequently enslaved the other or subjugated them. At the
same time, the French Jesuit missionaries were attempting to bring the
message of Christ and the spirit of love to the world.
Kateri's
mother had become Christian. However, in her adopting tribe, she was unable to
go to church or have Kateri baptized. Nevertheless, she did share her faith
with little Kateri who was only about four years old when her mother, father,
and baby brother died of the smallpox plague. Kateri also was struck by
smallpox, but she survived. Nevertheless, she was left with a severely
disfigured face, very limited vision, and a weak body.
When
her father, the great Mohawk War Chief, Kenneronkwa died, the village
matriarchs chose his brother Iowerano to replace him. As was the custom in the
Tribe, Kateri was adopted by him and he moved into the Longhouse of his late
brother, bringing his wife and aunt with him. It is believed that he was very
kind to Kateri.
While
it was proper for him to raise his late brother's child, it was also a
wise political move since he had no children of his own. He
probably hoped that she would marry a fine young warrior and carry on the
lineage of his family. His wife and aunt welcomed her with love.
Kateri proved to be a great asset to the family
with her gentle ways. In spite of her health issues, Kateri helped the
family with gathering wood for fires, cooking meals, sewing, beadwork,
etc.
However,
when she showed attraction to Christianity, brought to the Mohawks by
French Jesuits, Kateri’s uncle did not like this. The family was concerned
about her lack of interest in marriage. After all, that would interfere with
their plans to have a son-in-law who would carry on the lineage of their
family. They even tried to trick Kateri into an arranged marriage when she
was seventeen. Nevertheless, Kateri was alert to the effort and removed herself
from the situation.
One day when most of the women were involved in harvesting the corn crop, Kateri
had to stay home because she had injured her foot. Fr. Jacques
Lamberville, a Jesuit priest, was visiting her Village. When she shared
with him her desire to become a Christian, he agreed to instruct her.
At
age nineteen, she was considered ready to be baptized. On Easter Sunday,
April 18,1676, she was baptized and given the name, “Catherine” after St.
Catherine of Siena. (Kateri is the Mohawk form of Catherine.)
The following was recorded by Father Cholonec., S.J., who wrote what Kateri said: "I
have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will
do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus,
Son of Mary, I have chosen Him for husband and He alone will take me
for a wife."
Once it was known that Kateri would never marry and
provide a family to ensure the lineage of her uncle’s family, she experienced a
lot of persecution. (Today we
have many people of integrity who are being persecuted too, once they are deemed
to no longer be useful to advance the desires of others.) Nevertheless, Kateri,
despite her own handicaps and suffering, spent her life teaching children about God, visiting the elderly and sick, and
helping those in need.
Comments:
Stephanie Morris, ASBS, Ph.d. Historian, Certified
Archivist emerita
St. Kateri suffered during her lifetime –
illness, loss of family, and trials because of her faith. St. Katharine Drexel understood these
trials; she had suffered illnesses and the loss of loved ones. She and the Sisters faced opposition in their
efforts to work among the African American and Native American people. St.
Katharine told the Sisters: “You are not going to go through life without having
your patience tried.” Even as a young woman, Kate knew that her Lord said:
“Come to Me all ye that suffer and I will refresh you.” Yes, we can expect
difficulties in our lifetime but with the Lord walking beside us, the Holy
Spirit to guide us and the Blessed Mother to console us, we can handle all the
bumps along the way of our life’s journey.
Pat Chiaffa, ASBS emerita
Thank you, Sr. Annette, for sharing such
interesting details of St. Kateri’s life. I am particularly touched by her
intimate relationship with Jesus. Her refusal to submit to the expectations of
others so that she could stay true to her desire to pursue a life of prayer and
service reminded me of a quote from Matthew Kelly: “As we mature spiritually,
we realize that to want anything other than the will of God is foolish and
futile.” St. Kateri’s decision to follow Christ is a beautiful example. She
would not have felt fulfilled had she chosen to placate the wishes of her
uncle. Kateri most certainly knew that her decision to embrace Christianity
would result in criticism from her family and tribe. But she was driven by her
great love of Jesus.
Father Richard Rohr wrote a recent article
on St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi in which he stated that they were “not
so many prophets by what they said as in the way that they lived their lives.
Their agenda for justice was the most foundational and undercutting of all
others: a very simple lifestyle…plus a conscious identification with the
marginalized of society. In this position, you do not “do” acts of peace and
justice as much as your life is itself peace and justice. You take your small
and sufficient place in the great and grand scheme of God.” Kateri, like
Francis and Clare, who “within their chosen structural freedom, also found personal,
mental, and emotional freedom. They were free from negativity and ego. Such
liberation is full Gospel freedom.”
In reading your blog, I sense that you
have many social justice concerns in your heart. July is historically a month
of celebrating freedom. It appears as though we have drifted from our
proclamations of liberty and justice for all. Evangelist Alveda King, the niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shared the following sentiments in
her Independence Day blog, “Admittedly, these aspirations for our
nation have yet to encompass the rights of all American people; especially
those in the womb, those oppressed by the yoke of skin color racism, and other
human barriers. However, Hope is still alive. We are not colorblind; we are not separate
races. We just need to learn to see and hear each other.”
You gave us a glimpse of the world into
which Kateri was born and drew “There is hope that the imperfect union can
still become a perfect union; one race, one blood, one nation under God. As we
move forward, we must remember that as the human race, we are all made in the
image of God.”. The message of Christ and the Spirit of Love was stronger than
the injustices of the time for Kateri, and they continue to be the answer for
us today. With a penitent heart, we need to turn to the Lord, ask for His mercy,
compassion, and guidance so we can release the illusions of separation and
alienation that divide us from one another.
With Christ, change and renewal are
possible. The most basic first step toward reconciliation is to examine what is
in our hearts. We may be unaware of indifference or prejudices that have taken
root. Pope Francis cites the global indifference we as a society have toward
our neighbors. We live very distracted lives. I think we need to pause and
intentionally recommit to our responsibility as disciples. We profess to love
Jesus, but we need to live out our Christ-centered discipleship on the
streets. If we aim to open ourselves to others, love will replace fear and
distrust, for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
I read the following prayer on the
website: https://www.kateritekakwitha.org/kateri/prayers. and thought it
would be a lovely close to this post.
“Loving Creator God, we acknowledge your
power and presence in the Four Directions of your vast and beautiful universe.
We celebrate Kateri Tekakwitha, "Lily of the Mohawks", as one of your
Son's most faithful followers. Help us to turn our backs on all evil and walk
in her footsteps, sharing our love and Christian concern with others. Let us
reverence, as she did, your mystical presence in the poor and suffering.” Amen
St.
Kateri Tekakwitha:
An Echo
Pantomime
In the
Mohawk Valley of old New York,
A chief
who knew no fear,
Set forth
with a bow in winter's cold
To hunt
for elk and deer.
(Mime
walking with bow and arrow.)
In
Algonquin land he found a wife,
Kahenta,
good and wise,
A
Christian maiden with the peace
Of God's
grace in her eyes.
(Expression
of affection, arms outstretched.)
Kahenta
bore the Mohawk chief
A
precious, dark-eyed daughter,
Who
learned and locked within her heart
The faith
her mother taught her.
(With
hands folded, look up.)
They also
had a bright-eyed son,
But brief
was their delight,
For
through the valley, smallpox came -
Its power
they could not fight.
(Looking
at infant in arms, parent's
hand to
face.)
Father,
mother, and baby brother
Soon died
from its dread fever;
Though
scarred, the little one lived,
Nearly
blinded from the fever.
(Hands
shielding eyes; squinting.)
Her
uncle, now the tribe's new chief,
Took her
as a daughter.
The women
let her work with them,
And many
skills they taught her.
(Shucking
or grinding corn.)
Because
the sunlight hurt her eyes,
She
worked where it was dim.
She
cheerfully sewed boots and belts
And added
beads as trim.
(Beading
and stitching.)
Through her efforts smiles would
bring,
They named her
"Te-ka-kwi-tha" -
"She-who-stumbles-into-things.".
(Small stumble, with arm
outstretched.)
When tribal chiefs in Council
met,
Their comfort she would heed.
And as she served she often heard
Her peoples' griefs and needs.
(Passing serving tray.)
Other folks would want to know
What things they talked about,
But though they scolded her to
tell,
The Council’s trust she safely
kept.
(Hand and head signaling
"No.")
One day when she was sixteen,
To visit, a Blackrobe came.
He was amazed that she welcomed
him
And with love spoke Jesus' name.
(Hands extended in welcome.)
She said that she remembered well
Her mother's prayers and hymns;
She wanted to be baptized
And belong to Him.
(Arms crossed over chest.)
Though she could not read or
write,
With God's help learning came;
At Easter she was baptized;
Now "Kateri" was her
name.
(With head bent, use pouring
gesture.)
For years she lived the Christian
way,
With service, prayer, and fasting,
Helping care for sickly ones,
Her rosary always saying.
(Hands fingering rosary beads.)
Others did not understand
When she was willing to forgive,
And why she kept Sunday holy -
They felt that she was strange.
(Head-turning in bewilderment.)
Her life became a lonely one.
And when visitors one day,
From a Christian village came,
She
thought it best to go.
(Side
turn, head looking over shoulder.)
For more
than two hundred miles
By canoe
she followed her decision
Until in
Canada, at last
She
reached St. Francis Mission.
(Makes
sign of the cross.)
At
twenty-one, on Christmas Day,
Her
happiness was deep.
For at
last her heart knew "Love"
When
Communion she received.
(Hands in
prayer with eyes closed.)
When her
strength began to fail,
She knew
disease and pain.
She
offered all her suffering
Her
people's hearts to gain.
(Head
bent to side, coughing.)
In life,
her face so badly scarred,
Was
radiant in death.
"Oh,
Jesus, I love You",
She said
with her last breath.
(Repeat
words, close eyes slowly and
bow
head.)
We
celebrate her holiness
On the
fourteenth of July,
"St.
Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us,
Now and
when we die."
(Fold
hands in prayer, tap chest.)
Note:
In an echo pantomime, the students
repeat a
line after the teacher, imitating the teacher's enthusiastic actions and
inflection.
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