"The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints." Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf (October 19) were tomahawked by Iroquois warriors, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Na-tions. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (Jesuit missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk brave and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday.
Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God's love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people. She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, she stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.
For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity and in strenuous penance. At 23 she took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman, whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day- and was accused of meeting a man there. She humbly accepted an "ordinary" life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. Kateri died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The line of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2012.
Kateri said: " I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus. He must be my only love. The state of helpless poverty that may befall me if I do not marry does not frighten me. All I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing. With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is necessary and what is left over I'll give to my relatives and to the poor. If I should become sick and unable to work, then I shall be like the Lord on the cross. He will have mercy on me and help me, I am sure."
Excerpt taken from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Bulletin, July 10th, 2016
Kateri, favored child and Lily of the Mohawks,
I come to seek your intercession in my present need:
(State your intention here…)
I admire the virtues which adorned your soul:
love of God and neighbor,
humility, obedience, patience,
purity and the spirit of sacrifice.
Help me to imitate your example in my state of life.
Through the goodness and mercy of God,
Who has blessed you with so many graces
which led you to the true faith
and to a high degree of holiness,
pray to God for me and help me.
Obtain for me a very fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist
so that I may love Holy Mass as you did
and receive Holy Communion as often as I can.
Teach me also to be devoted
to my crucified Savior as you were,
that I may cheerfully bear my daily crosses
for love of Him Who suffered so much for love of me.
Most of all I beg you to pray for me
that I may avoid sin,
lead a holy life and save my soul.
A M E N.
In Thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed upon Kateri:
(Recite the following prayers…)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be… (3 times).
SOURCE: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, NY www.rcdony.org