How well do you know the story of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha? Do you know where she grew up, or how she learned about the Gospel?
On July 14, as we celebrate the Memorial of the Virgin Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, “the Lily of the Mohawks,” we invite you to discover five facts about her life, and where you can find her portrayed in the art of the Basilica.
1. Kateri was left an orphan at only four years old.
Kateri was born to a pagan Mohawk chief and a Christian Algonquian woman in 1656 in present-day New York. After an epidemic of smallpox took both her parents and her brother, Kateri was left an orphan at only four years old. Though she also contracted the disease, which impaired her vision and scarred her face, she was able to recover.
2. She was raised in a Mohawk tribe.
Fortunately, Kateri was able to find a home with her uncle, who became the chief of the Mohawks in her father’s stead and raised her in the tribe. Though her uncle was hostile to Christianity, she learned the precepts of the faith from Jesuit missionaries and became a devout Christian.
In 1676, she was baptized by Father Jacques de Lamberville, and at age 19, she took a vow of chastity. While her piety served as an inspiration to some around her, others harassed her because of her faith and threatened to harm her. Seeking a less hostile environment, she moved over 200 miles to the settlement of the Mission of St. Frances Xavier, a community of Christian Indigenous Americans living near what is now Montreal.
3. She was only 24 when she passed away.
At the Mission of St. Frances Xavier, she grew in faith and holiness, spurred on by an unquenchable zeal for Christ, living in prayer and penitence. Only five years later, however, she was called home by the Lord, passing away at the young age of 24 on April 17, 1680. Before she slipped from this world, the last words she uttered were “Jesus, I love you.”
4. She was the first Indigenous American to be canonized as a saint.
On October 21, 2012, Kateri was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. Through her complete reliance on Christ and embodiment of His love, Kateri stands as a shining example of steadfast faith amidst a culture of paganism.
5. She is the patroness of ecology and the environment.
This patronage is shared with St. Francis of Assisi. In the Basilica, you can find St. Kateri portrayed in the Hall of American Saints in a Vermont marble statue sculpted by artist Dale Claude Lamphere. She is also featured in mosaic tile in the Trinity Dome and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, as well as in the southwest nave bay in the Great Upper Church. Both this sculpture and the statue of St. Kateri in the Hall of American Saints are the gift of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions.
Sources:
Biography of St. Kateri from the Vatican.
Rohling, Geraldine M., PhD, MAEd. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book. Washington, D.C.: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 2018.
“Saint Kateri Tekakwitha,” Britannica.