Who was St. Kateri Tekakwitha?

Early Life of Tekakwitha

Tekakwitha, known among her Mohawk people as "She who bumps into things," was born around 1656 in Ossernenon, a Mohawk village in what is now Northeastern New York state. Her father, Kenneronkwa, was a respected Mohawk chief, and her mother, Kahenta, was an Algonquin woman. Kahenta was captured in a raid and brought into the Mohawk tribe, where she was adopted and became part of the community. She had been baptized as a Catholic and taught by French missionaries in Trois-Rivières, a city east of Montreal, before being captured by Mohawk warriors and taken to their homeland. Eventually, she married Kenneronkwa, and they had Tekakwitha, their first child, followed by a brother.

Tekakwitha grew up in a village rich in cultural diversity. The Mohawk frequently absorbed captives from other tribes, especially the Huron, their rivals. This practice helped replace those lost to warfare or diseases.

Triumph Over Tragedy

Tragedy struck Tekakwitha's life when she was about four years old. A smallpox epidemic claimed the lives of her younger brother and both her parents. Although Tekakwitha survived, she was left with permanent facial scars and impaired eyesight. After the death of her parents, she was adopted by her paternal aunt and her husband, who was a chief of the Turtle Clan.

According to accounts by the Jesuits, Tekakwitha was a modest and reserved girl. She often stayed away from social events and covered her head, likely due to self-consciousness about her scars. She became proficient in traditional female skills such as making clothing, weaving mats, and food preparation. As she reached the age of thirteen, in line with the customs of her people, Tekakwitha faced pressure to consider marriage. However, she consistently refused this expectation.

Early Life During Colonial Conflicts

Tekakwitha grew up during a turbulent time, as the Mohawk people were interacting with French and Dutch colonists. These colonists were competing in the profitable fur trade. In 1666, the French, trying to gain control in Iroquois territory, attacked the Mohawk in what is now central New York. The French drove the Mohawk from their homes and destroyed their three villages. At this time, Tekakwitha was about ten years old and had to flee with her new family.

Encounter with Jesuit Missionaries

After their defeat by the French, the Mohawk had to accept a peace treaty. This treaty required them to allow Jesuit missionaries to live in their villages. Near Auriesville, New York, the Jesuits set up a mission and talked about Christianity in ways the Mohawk could understand.

The Mohawk then moved across their river to rebuild their village, Caughnawaga, on the north bank, near what is now Fonda, New York. In 1667, when Tekakwitha was 11, she met Jesuit missionaries Jacques Frémin, Jacques Bruyas, and Jean Pierron. These missionaries had come to her village. Her uncle was against her having any contact with them because he didn't want her to become a Christian. One of his older daughters had already converted to Catholicism.

In the summer of 1669, several hundred Mohican warriors attacked Caughnawaga. Tekakwitha, who was about 13 at the time, joined other girls to help priest Jean Pierron. They cared for the wounded, buried the dead, and brought food and water.

Refusing Marriage

By 1673, when Tekakwitha was about 17 years old, her adoptive mother and aunt tried to arrange a marriage for her with a young Mohawk man. Tekakwitha did not want to get married, so she ran away from her home and hid in a nearby field. She continued to resist the idea of marriage, and eventually, her aunts stopped trying to persuade her to marry.

Meeting Father Jacques de Lamberville

In spring of 1674, Tekakwitha, now eighteen years old, met Father Jacques de Lamberville, a Jesuit priest. He was visiting her village at that time. Tekakwitha spoke to him openly, in front of others, sharing her story and expressing her strong desire to become a Christian. Following this encounter, she began studying the catechism under his guidance.

After her baptism, Kateri stayed in Caughnawauga for six more months. Her conversion to Christianity wasn't universally accepted; some Mohawks even accused her of sorcery. Lamberville advised her to move to the Jesuit mission of Kahnawake, near Montreal, where other Native American converts lived. Kateri joined this community in 1677.

Kateri's devotion was intense. She is known to have placed thorns on her sleeping mat, lying on them while praying for her family's conversion and forgiveness. This act of piercing the body to draw blood was a tradition among the Mohawk and other Iroquois nations. Kateri spent her last two years at Kahnawake.

Father Cholonec recorded Kateri's profound commitment in her words:

"I have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen Him for husband, and He alone will take me for wife."

The Church recognized that Kateri's conversion was fully realized in 1679, particularly on the Feast of the Annunciation. In the histories of early Jesuits, she is celebrated as the "first Iroquois virgin." Although often seen as a consecrated virgin, she couldn't receive the official Consecration of Virgins due to circumstances. However, the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins chose Kateri Tekakwitha as its patroness.

A Missionary Settlement

The Jesuits established Kahnawake primarily for the religious conversion of native peoples. Initially, the inhabitants built their traditional longhouses as residences, including one longhouse repurposed as a chapel by the Jesuits. As a missionary settlement, Kahnawake faced potential threats from members of the Iroquois Confederacy who had not embraced Catholicism. Although Kahnawake attracted members of various Iroquois tribes, the Mohawk people, dominant in eastern New York, were particularly prominent.

Cultural Integration and Diversity

Upon her arrival, Catherine moved into the longhouse shared by her older sister and her husband. This longhouse also housed other people who had relocated from Gandaouagué (Caughnawaga). A significant figure in Catherine's life was Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, the longhouse's clan matron and a close friend of her mother. Anastasia and other Mohawk women played a crucial role in familiarizing Tekakwitha with the practices of Christianity. This religious guidance was typical in the village, as many missionaries were occupied with various religious duties. Pierre Cholenec, a historical figure, noted that "all the Iroquois who become Christians here largely owe their conversion to their relatives' zeal."

Kahnawake was structured similarly to other Iroquois villages, often relocating when resources were depleted. Initially, the village wasn't exclusively French; it gradually gained more native inhabitants due to the northward migration of the Five Nations. This migration happened simultaneously among these nations, without coordination. Kahnawake became a melting pot with representatives from multiple tribes and ethnicities. Recognized by New France, the village enjoyed a degree of autonomy, allowing it to address internal issues and foster a relationship with New York.

Kahnawake's economy included a fur trade, and the village was characterized by a distinct separation between the French Church and the native community, with minimal interactions between them.

Tragically, Kahnawake was eventually embroiled in a conflict among various tribes, a war that lasted approximately two and a half years.

Tekakwitha's Final Days

Around Holy Week of 1680, Tekakwitha's friends noticed her health was failing. As her final hours approached, the villagers, along with priests Chauchetière and Cholenec (who provided the last rites), gathered around her. Catherine Tekakwitha passed away at 3 p.m. on Holy Wednesday, April 17, 1680, at the age of 23 or 24, in the arms of her friend Marie-Therèse. Her last words were reported by Chauchetière as, "Jesus, Mary, I love you."

Mystical Events and Legacy

After Tekakwitha's passing, people noticed a remarkable change: her face, once marked and dark, became "beautiful and white" about fifteen minutes after her death, with her smallpox scars seemingly disappearing.

In the weeks following, Tekakwitha is said to have appeared to three people: her mentor Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, her friend Marie-Thérèse Tegaiaguenta, and Chauchetière. Anastasia witnessed Tekakwitha "kneeling at the foot" of her mattress, holding a cross that shone brightly. Marie-Thérèse heard a knocking on her wall one night and a voice saying, "I'm on my way to heaven." Chauchetière reported seeing Tekakwitha at her grave in a radiant vision for two hours.

In remembrance, Chauchetière built a chapel near Kateri's gravesite. By 1684, pilgrimages to this site had begun. The Jesuits turned her bones to dust, placing the ashes in the chapel, symbolizing her earthly presence. Her remains were sometimes used as relics for healing.