First Native American saint’s legacy blends Catholicism and culture
Feast Day: July 14
When Americans think of Native American history, the first names that come to mind might be Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Pocahontas or perhaps Sacagawea.
However, what about the history of Catholic Native Americans? The name that comes to my mind is St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks – the first Native American saint to be recognized by our Catholic faith.
She is the patron saint of Native Americans, Canadians, and the environment. Born in 1656, she died in 1680 at the age of 24 after living an extraordinary life of faith. Pope John Paul II beautified Kateri in 1980 and she was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI October 21, 2012.
Although St. Kateri was canonized in 2012, she has been celebrated and embraced by Native Americans for more than 84 years with an annual Tekakwitha Conference.
Kateri became a devout Catholic at a young age by choice despite many hardships. She was orphaned at the age of 10 due to a smallpox outbreak.
She was adopted by her aunt and uncle, who opposed the French and their religion – and forbade her from going near the missionaries in an effort to retain their culture and traditions.
Still, the Holy Spirit found its way to Kateri and she was baptized at the age of 20.
She struggled with the tension between her faith and her culture – a battle many Natives still feel to this day. It has been recorded that she did much penance with the intention of
spiritually mending the violence between Europe and the Natives.
Today, as Natives, we are fortunate to be able to blend our culture and our faith through Saint Kateri’s prayers, devotion, and legacy. It is with great honor that we humbly invite you to
join us in celebrating St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s Feast Day on July 14.
The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk, upholds the tradition of celebrating with a Catholic Native American Mass, as do other parishes across the country and even internationally. We invite all Native Americans and indigenous people to attend Mass in their full regalia (at the time of printing, the date had not been determined).
The Mass begins with smudging (a ceremony of cleansing) the church and the presider with the burning of what is commonly a combination of tobacco, cedar, sweet grass and sage. These spices and herbs, when used in a smudging ceremony, can be thought to mirror the Catholic use of incense.
This is followed by a Native drummer and gifts brought to the altar. These gifts are sometimes different depending on the tribes represented.
One of the gifts can be a basket which includes rosaries, said to be St. Kateri’s favorite form of prayer. A poster or sign with the Native American Ten Commandments can be presented, as well as a symbol for music, such as a Native American flute, a prayer rattle, drum, etc.
After our directional prayer, our traditional Mass follows and Native American hymns are usually incorporated.
While the feast day is a wonderful time for us to recognize and worship through St. Kateri’s intercession, it is not the only opportunity. Next year, we are pleased to welcome the 85th Tekakwitha Conference here in Region 1 (East Coast, Canada and international countries).
The official vision statement states: the Tekakwitha Conference is the voice, presence and identity of Indigenous Catholics of North America under the protection and inspiration of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
It will be in Raleigh, North Carolina, from July 3-7, 2024, after being postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19. This year’s conference will be from July 19-23 in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Our annual Tekakwitha Conference is more like a family reunion. Many tribes from all
over the United States and other countries will gather. There are 574 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities as of February 2020 that are legally recognized by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs of the United States.
There are keynote speakers, workshops, a prayer room, sunrise worship, and daily Mass. We share our commonalities, our communities, family, and faith. It is ecumenical, spiritual, and social. There are bishops, priests, nuns, deacons, brothers and lay people who attend annually.
Editor’s note: More information to the Tekakwitha Conference can be found at https://tekconf.org.
DJ Bradley is Narragansett (Algonquin Nation) Kuna and is a parishioner at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk. She is a member of the planning committee for the National Tekakwitha Conference and is currently working with the Office of Ethnic Ministries, specifically the Office of Native American Ministry, in being part of the conference in 2024, which will be hosted in our region.
Saint Kateri Prayer
O Saint Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks,
Your love for Jesus,
so strong, so steadfast,
pray that we may become like you.
Your short and painful life
showed us your strength and humility.
Pray that we may become
forever humble like you.
Like the bright and shining stars at night,
we pray that your light
may forever shine down upon us,
giving light, hope, peacefulness
and serenity in our darkest moments.
Fill our hearts, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
with your same love for Jesus
and pray that we may have the strength and courage
to become one like you in Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
– Harold Caldwell