Terry Steele, Shrine Advisory Council member and Catholic member of the Algonquin nation, explains the Native practice of the penitential rite.

The inspirational example of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was celebrated at her U.S. National Shrine July 12-14, 2024, in honor of her feast day.

The feast day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, patron of ecology and the environment and of Indigenous Peoples, was celebrated over the course of three days at her U.S. National Shrine, outside of Fonda, New York. Celebrations began with a Spanish Mass on Friday evening and concluded with the semiannual burning of prayer petitions after Sunday Mass, which fell on Saint Kateri’s U.S. feast day, July 14. The occasion was also marked with a Vigil Mass on Saturday and presentation by Dr. Damian Costello, NAIITS, on the Old Testament tribal roots of the Eucharist, to which Saint Kateri had a great devotion. As is traditional at the Shrine that was the home of this Mohawk-Algonquin saint for most of her life, the penitential rite included purification with Native sacred herbs as the incense and the Four Directions blessing; the sung portions of the Mass took place in Mohawk, courtesy of the Akwesasne Catholic choir.

Friar Joe Freitag, OFM Conv., takes part in the penitential rite.

Anyone interested in learning more about Saint Kateri’s life is encouraged to visit her Shrine on Route 5, Fonda, New York, which is operated by Our Lady of the Angels Province, Conventual Franciscan Friars. The grounds, which include Saint Kateri’s baptismal spring and the archaeological site of the Mohawk Village of Caughnawaga, are available to the public year-round. Special events focusing on spiritual, cultural, and historical topics are held May through October. For more information about Saint Kateri or the Shrine or Historic Site, please contact info@katerishrine.org, call 518-853-3646, or visit https://www.katerishrine.org.

Friar Cristofer Fernández, OFM Conv., distributes Holy Communion.