Today we honor Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who was canonized on October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI. She became the first Native American to be canonized by the Catholic Church, a moment of profound significance for Indigenous Catholics across North America and beyond. Born in 1656 to a Mohawk father and an Algonquin Christian mother, Kateri survived a smallpox epidemic that took her parents and left her with lasting scars and impaired vision. She was baptized at age 20 and courageously embraced a life of chastity, prayer, and service to others, despite ridicule and persecution.
Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri spent her short life growing in holiness, devoting herself to the Eucharist, caring for the sick and elderly, and finding strength in the cross of Christ. She died at just 24, and witnesses said that moments after her death, the smallpox scars on her face miraculously vanished.
Saint Kateri reminds us that holiness is not about status or power but about courage, humility, and love. She is the patroness of ecology and the environment, Indigenous peoples, and those who suffer from rejection or illness.
Through the intercession of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, may the people of God in the Diocese of Cheyenne experience healing, reconciliation, and a deeper respect for creation.
