United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

102 • Part I. The Creed: The Faith Professed

She died on April 7, 1680. Witnesses said her last words were, “Jesus, I love you.” They also testified that the smallpox scars on her face vanished. In death she was radiant and beautiful. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first North American Indian to be declared Blessed. Her Feast Day is July 14. Along with St. Francis of Assisi, she is the patroness of the environment and ecology. She is popularly known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.” St. John Paul II addressed six hundred Native Americans on the occa sion of Kateri’s beatification. Noting that Kateri is a witness to their faith, he said, You have come to rejoice in the beatification of Kateri Tekakwitha. It is a time to pause and give thanks to God for the unique culture and rich human tradition which you have inherited, and for the greatest gift anyone can receive, the gift of faith. ( L’Osservatore Romano [June 22, 1980]: 13) The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all who are baptized, but the power of his gifts is most evident in the lives of extraordinary witnesses to faith such as St. Kateri. 10 • JESUS GIVES US THE TRANSFORMING SPIRIT Just before his Ascension, Jesus said these words to the Apostles: “You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, [in all] Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). These words of Christ to the Apostles are also addressed to each believer. The Holy Spirit comes to us as a teacher of the meaning and depth of Revelation. He also fills us with power, the grace to understand the Church’s teachings and the wisdom to see how they apply to our lives. Finally, the Spirit puts courage into our hearts so that we can wit ness what we believe to believer and unbeliever alike.

10 For more information about St. Kateri, see texts from the Tekakwitha Conference National Center reprinted online at www.cin.org .