(Above) La Crosse WI: Shrine to Bl Kateri Tekakwitha
VATICAN CITY, 20 DEC 2011 – The Holy Father, yesterday signed decrees acknowledging miracles attributed to the intervention of seven blesseds (three men and four women) who will shortly be canonised. One of the new saints is Kateri Tekakwitha, the first native North American to be raised to the glory of the altars. -Vatican Information Service
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha lived in a society where publicly and literally people ate other men, offered sacrifices to demons, and every human act was done in view of others, I mean EVERYTHING. In the mist of all this she remained a pure virgin, even before she was a Christian, but after baptism in the True Faith under the One True God, she rocketed into great holiness. – A Friar With Great Devotion to her
Daughter of a Christian Algonquin woman captured by Iroquois and married to a non-Christian Mohawk chief. Orphaned during a smallpox epidemic, which left her with a scarred face and impaired eyesight. Converted and baptized in 1676 by Father Jacques de Lamberville, a Jesuit missionary. Shunned and abused by relatives for her faith. Escaped through 200 miles of wilderness to the Christian Native American village of Sault-Sainte-Marie. Took a vow of chastity in 1679. Known for spirituality and austere lifestyle. Miracle worker. Her grave became a pilgrimage site and place of miracles for Christian Native Americans and French colonists. First Native American proposed for canonization, her cause was started in 1884 under Pope Leo XIII. The Tekakwitha Conference, an international association of Native American Catholics and those in ministry with them, was named for her. – http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-kateri-tekakwitha/
Tekakwitha is translated as “Pusher of wind” seeing that she was blinded by the smallpox. During WWII when the Germans were occupying a Polish village, the refugees fled into the woods to hide, when an American Indian appeared to them. the refugees were terrified of the apparition. It was then that the Indian spoke to them and said, “Do not be afraid, I am Tekakwitha, I am the patroness of those in hiding.”
We were so Blessed and happy when we found out about the Canonization of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. I was with Bob and Penny Lord and Father Jim Plavcan as part of the video crew when we did our video on the Life of Saint Kateri.
Father Jim died soon after our interview with him. He was a holy Priest for sure.
We recently updated our video to high definition and it will be shown on EWTN this next spring.