July 14: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

History

Kateri was born into the Mohawk Native American tribe more than 100 years before the United States became a nation. Kateri’s face was badly scarred by small pox when she was very little. After her mother died, nobody wanted her. Then, when she was a teenager, Kateri became a Christian after learning about Jesus from a missionary, and her whole tribe hated her. She moved to Canada to live with a colony of Christian Native Americans, where she was very happy. Just as she died, all the scars on her face were miraculously healed and she was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside.

Activity

Saint Kateri used to carve crosses into the trees around her village to make her own little shrines for prayer. You can do something similar by collecting twigs from your back yard and using colorful yarn to tie two straight twigs together to form a cross. (Parents can cut the twigs into smaller sizes as necessary.) Hang your crosses from the trees in your yard or at other places you visit frequently, like a your church or a public park.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

National Saint Kateri Shrine

Saint Kateri TekakwithaConservation Center

Catholic Online