Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is an amazing Saint and is the first Native American Saint ever to be canonized by the Catholic Church. There are really very few Saints from the Americas at all. Her feast day in the United States comes around each year on July 14. Kateri’s name is often pronounced as kä’tu-rē. Her Haudenosaunee name, Tekakwitha, is often pronounced tek”u-kwith’u.

Who was Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and what makes her different from other saints you've heard about?
Why do you think Kateri stayed strong in her faith, even when it was difficult for her?
Saint Kateri is called the "Lily of the Mohawks." What do you think that nickname means?
How did Saint Kateri show love for God and the people around her? How can we do the same in our family?
Kateri loved nature and often prayed outdoors. Where is your favorite place to talk to God?
She chose to be baptized even when her family didn’t understand. Have you ever made a choice that others didn’t agree with but felt right to you?
What do you think gave Saint Kateri courage to follow Jesus? What gives you courage when you're scared or unsure?
Saint Kateri lived a simple life. What are some ways we can live more simply and focus on what matters most?
How can we learn from Saint Kateri’s example of forgiveness, especially when people treat us unfairly?
If you could ask Saint Kateri one question, what would it be—and why?

Saint of the Month: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Attend Eucharistic Adoration: Kateri would spend hours, sometimes entire days in Eucharistic Adoration in the church (even during the coldest weather in Canada)!
Make small wooden crosses: When the winter hunting season took Kateri and villagers away from the village, she made her own little chapel in the woods by making a wooden cross. She would spend her time in prayer, kneeling in the snow.
- How to make a wooden cross like Kateri: 1) Find two sticks 2) Tie them together in the shape of a cross with some twine or string 3) Say a simple prayer (Kateri's last words and prayer was, "Jesus, I love you.") 4) Leave the crosses around your neighborhood or nearby natural area for others to find as a delightful surprise
Plant Some Lilies: She is known as the “The Lily of the Mohawks” and is the patron saint of ecology and the environment. Plant them now and they will bloom in the Fall.
Take a nature walk and remember that St. Kateri had to walk 200 miles to a Christian town after being ostracized by her tribe.
The Mohawk Natives were known for gathering berries and herbs, so why not go berry picking? Here where we live her feast day is prime strawberry picking season. Search for a U-pick farm in your own town.