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Birth
Born Kateri Tekakwitha in 1656. Mother was a Algonquin who married a Mohawk chief. Lived in a Mohawk village of Ossernenon. -
Small Pox
She contracted small pox at the age of 4. The epidemic killed her entire family which resulted in her being raised by her uncle, a neighboring Mohawk chief. Because of the small pox she got scarring all over her body including her face, this is why she would wear a blanket so she could hide her scars. -
Converting to Catholicism
At the age of 19 she converted to Catholicism. She took a vow of chastity and to be married to Jesus Christ. Her neighbors and adoptive parents didn't approve of this. -
Montreal
After converting to Catholicism she later moved to a christian native community south of Montreal because of the disapproval she was getting from her friends and family. -
Devotion
After moving to the christian native community she was reported to be a very devoted member, a skilled worker. She had a quiet, meek personality. She would fast, also when she did eat she would taint the food so it would be flavorless. She would sleep with thorns in her bed to show self-mortification. -
Death
Passed away at the age of 24. -
Canonized
She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. Beatified by Pope John Paul II. She is the first native american to be recognized as a saint by the catholic church. Patroness of ecology and the environment, people in exile and native americans.
