She was baptized at twenty, on Easter Sunday 1676, and faced so much hostility in her village that she fled two hundred miles to a Christian community near Montreal. There she spent her short life in prayer, work and care for the sick. She died in 1680, aged twenty-four. Witnesses said the scars vanished from her face shortly after her death. In 2012 she became the first Native American to be canonized.
Historical Context
Elsewhere in the world, 14 July is the feast of St Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick and nurses (kept on 18 July in the US), and in France it’s Bastille Day.
A Prayer to St Kateri Tekakwitha
St Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks,
you loved Jesus when it cost you your home.
Pray for me, that I may be faithful when faith is unpopular.
Pray for Native peoples, for their families, cultures and healing.
Teach me to see God in the woods, the rivers and the seasons,
as you did.
Amen.
For Those with Scars
St Kateri, your face was marked by illness.
Pray for those who feel ashamed of how they look.
Let them know they are beautiful to God.
Amen.
For Creation
Lord, through St Kateri, patron of ecology,
teach us to care for the land you made.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- On 14 July, her feast in the United States.
- On 17 April, her feast in Canada.
- At a Native American Catholic gathering.
Scripture Connection
“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” — Song of Solomon 4:7
Kateri was scarred and half-blind, and many in her village thought little of her. God saw her as beautiful. The healing of her face after death was a sign of how he had always seen her.
Related prayers
For more in July, see the July 10 Prayer and July 21 Prayer. For creation, the Earth Day Prayer.