#Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

[ynhart]

[daily-praise]

Today’s Reflection

One of my greatest fears, upon ordination, was centered on hearing confessions and what I would say to a penitent after hearing their confession. Yet, eleven years later, my ministry is primarily that of hearing confessions and as for my fear of what I would say, this has not been a problem. For I know that the Holy Spirit is active in the confessional, because some of the things I have said to penitents I know has not come from me, yet it was always the right thing to say. For what Jesus said has come true, “[That] you will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you,” and this is always the truth. Therefore, we ought to hold on to God and not fear whatever the world may say, for if we trust God, all things will be okay and this ought to bring us hope.

Today’s Spiritual Links for July 14, 2023

Join the National Eucharistic Revival Today’s Mass Readings Today’s Reflection The Holy Rosary Liturgy of the Hours New American Bible Non-Scriptural Reading Prime Matters ACTS XXIX

[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

Kateri Tekakwitha's uncle, according to the Jesuit sources (Mohawk oral tradition does not depict him this way)

[guineverescastle]

Princesses of Heaven by Fabiola Garza

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 14)

On July 14, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized.

Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks," Kateri lived a life of holiness and virtue, despite obstacles and opposition within her tribe.

Kateri was born in 1656 in Auriesville, New York, to a Christian Algonquin woman and a pagan Mohawk chief.

When she was a child, a smallpox epidemic attacked her tribe, and both her parents died.

She was left with permanent scars on her face and impaired eyesight.

Her uncle, who had now become chief of the tribe, adopted her. Her aunts then began planning her marriage while she was still very young.

When three Jesuit fathers were visiting the tribe in 1667 and staying in the tent of her uncle, they spoke to her of Christ.

Though she did not ask to be baptized, she believed in Jesus with an incredible intensity.

She also realized that she was called into an intimate union with God as a consecrated virgin.

Kateri had to struggle to maintain her faith amidst the opposition of her tribe who ridiculed her for it and ostracized her for refusing the marriage that had been planned for her.

When she was 18, Fr. Jacques de Lamberville returned to the Mohawk village, and she asked to be baptized.

Life at the Mohawk village had become violent, and debauchery was commonplace.

Realizing that this was proving too dangerous to her life and her call to perpetual virginity, Kateri escaped to the town of Caughnawaga in Quebec, near Montreal, where she grew in holiness and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Kateri lived out the last years of her short life here, practicing austere penance and constant prayer.

She was said to have reached the highest levels of mystical union with God, and many miracles were attributed to her while she was still alive.

She died on 17 April 1680 at the age of 24.

Witnesses reported that within minutes of her death, the scars from smallpox completely vanished and her face shone with radiant beauty.

Devotion to Kateri began immediately after her death. Her body, enshrined in Caughnawaga, is visited by many pilgrims each year.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 June 1980. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012.

Because of Tekakwitha's unique path to chastity, she is often referred to as a lily, a traditional symbol of purity.

[catholic-saint-tournament]

About St Joan of Arc

About St Kateri Tekakwitha

Post-Schism Saints Round 2 Winners/Round 3 Bracket

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA The Lily of the Mohawks and the Patron of Native Americans Feast Day: April 17 (Canada), July 14 (United States)

"My Jesus, I must risk everything with You."

The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lelande were tomahawked by Iroquois warriors, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York.

Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Tekakwitha lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind.

She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes—Jesuit missionaries—but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction.

Tekakwitha refused to marry a Mohawk brave, and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri--Catherine--on Easter Sunday.

Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, Kateri received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.

She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, Kateri stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.

For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity, and in strenuous penance.

At 23, Kateri took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day—and was accused of meeting a man there!

Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: Kateri did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an 'ordinary' life.

She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation.

Kateri Tekakwitha died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2012.

Source: Franciscan Media

[everydaycatholicism]

St. Kateri Tekakwitha (also known as Lily of the Mohawks)

Algonquin and Mohawk woman

Patron Saint of Native Americans

Born 1656 in Auriesville, NY

Died April 17, 1680 in Kahnawá:ke, Quebec, Canada

Canonized: October 21, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI

Feast Day July 14

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be canonized a saint. She was born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon now called Auriesville in New York. Her mother was Algonquin who was captured by the Mohawks and took the Mohawk chief for a husband. Kateri contracted smallpox as a four year old child. The smallpox scarred her face. The scars were a source of humiliation for her in her youth that she was seen wearing a blanket to hide her face. Kateri's entire family died during the outbreak of smallpox. She went to live with her uncle who was then the Mohawk chief. At age 19, Kateri Tekakwitha converted to Catholicism, taking a vow of chastity and renouncing marriage pledging to marry only Jesus Christ. Kateri became the target of rumors spread by her clan due to her vow to marry only Jesus. To escape persecution she fled to a Christian native community south of Montreal. Kateri was very devout and was known for her steadfast devotion. She was also very sickly. Her practices of self-mortification and denial may not have helped her health. Just five years after her conversion to Catholicism, she became ill and passed away from tuberculosis at age 24, on April 17, 1680. It was said that at her death Kateri’s face miraculously cleared up from the scarring caused by smallpox. Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012.

[aaartemisia]

“Five Saints Saga”

The story follows Pietro, with no memory of his past, washes ashore where he is taken in by a group of unique individuals blessed with elemental powers and supernatural abilities. He meets James and John, the lively pranksters, Miss M, the astute debater, Cecilia, the reserved and insightful "flower," Kateri, the serious older sister, Maria, the witty illiterate, and Anna Wang, the introverted Chinese girl with limited speech. Adopted by Lorenzo and Marina, a devoted Asian couple, Pietro begins his journey with this eclectic group.

Adopted by Lorenzo and Marina, an Asian couple with strong parental instincts, Pietro embarks on a journey with The group. During a late night walk, one of the Black Seven, Elvire Sven, abducts Anna for sinister intentions. Vira Tsavf, leader of the Black Seven, harbors secret aspirations to rule over the Five Flags. Amidst their quest, the group experiences sporadic moments of "consciousness blackouts," hinting at their forgotten pasts. The prophecy foretells that the Five Saints will overthrow the Black Seven, and light shall prevail against the darkness. As the prophecy unfolds, Pietro and the others prepare to face the formidable Black Seven, all while uncovering their lost memories. In the gripping narrative, Lady Cecilia foresees the emergence of the nine new heroes who will be christened *The Five Saints*. Armed with elemental powers reflective of their individual personalities, they embark on a mission to rescue Anna Wang, dethrone the Black Seven, and establish a base of operations from which to wage a war against the forces of darkness. The question looms. Can Pietro and his companions harness the power of light to overthrow the shadow looming over their world?

[uranodioningin]

This was way too long for replies so I'm commenting. Apologies for the avalanche of text. Also, apologies to my followers who will have no idea what I'm talking about or why.

Quebec is super racist, and those of us who live here are tired of tax money being thrown towards racist policies and shitty treatment of immigrants, forcing them to learn French under the least supportive circumstances.

It would be fantastic if some of that money could go towards expanding language learning, not just in terms of the classes available to people, but also low-stakes ways to practice speaking & listening; namely, TV/movies and fan spaces. As opposed to, you know, work. Where there are financial consequences if you don't learn fast enough. Streaming Quebecois French shows (yes Quebecois French, watching Parisian French does nothing to help you understand your Quebecois coworkers or clients) is an excellent way to offer that sort of learning & practice, and funding for such shows is a good thing.

It would also be fantastic for Quebec to put more support in indigenous language revival, as mentioned in the replies. I will just point out here that Netflix and Disney aren't exactly bastions of indigenous language revival, and asking them to offer Quebec-French media in Quebec itself is in no way taking away space for indigenous voices. Quebec's goal with this bill seems to be to stem the tide of Anglo-colonial media pushing down any and all diverse voices in online streaming. I don’t think that’s the best priority to have, and indigenous language revival should receive far more attention, but it’s not in and of itself a racist project to make streaming platforms offer media in the languages & on the topics relevant to the local consumers.

There is, certainly, a link between modern francophonie and white supremacy. If this bill is implemented fully (with that nonsense about temporary international workers needing to learn French, and [as mentioned in the replies] with less & less structural support and just plain time for that learning to happen) there will be negative shock-waves, most strongly felt by the linguistically disenfranchised (which is basically to say non-white anglophone & allophone immigrants). On this I agree with OP's view, that this bill is framed as "preserving" the French language when in fact over 50% of the funding is going towards making immigration harder for POC in a way that will in no way increase the ratio of francophones in the province. The streaming stuff is a good start, but it's tacked on as an afterthought, with the bulk of the bill going to good ol' QC racism.

I try not to be pessimistic, though. I hope it’s possible to build a future francophonie, built on values of diversity and acceptance and decolonisation. I am under no illusions that it will be easy to shape this future franco culture so that it includes none of the long history of oppression of French colonisation, but I believe it's possible, and more importantly, that it's important to try. To pretend that making a better future that includes all currently extant cultures of a region isn’t possible...to put it politely, it's a little grim.

And frankly, Quebecois-French TV and movies are a damn good tool for creating a new francophonie without the racism--IF the shows/films are made with anti-colonial values, with messages of acceptance and celebration of all Quebec's cultures, with an exploration of what makes Quebec be Quebec that extends beyond on parle français icitte tbk.

To end, I’m not saying “if Francos don’t oppress Native voices, someone else will, so we might as well be the ones to do it.” I’m not saying “Let's give all disenfranchised people equal support whether or not they face equal hurdles.” I’m not saying “French in Quebec is dying and we must save it.” I’m not saying “Quebec is better when it's French.”

I’m saying “There are anglophones and allophones in Quebec who want to learn French, but who lack the structural support to achieve that, and artistic efforts to support these people are a good thing.” I’m saying “Artistic efforts to encourage language learning can and should be implemented alongside academic efforts, and neither effort is being made with sufficient emphasis right now.” I’m saying “Asking Netflix/Disney/etc. to offer Quebecois media is a way of increasing artistic support for French learners (and positively shaping franco culture) without trodding down any other linguistic/cultural revival efforts.” I’m saying “French culture is a lot more than just being able to work in French, but currently there is little to no space in modern Quebec for francophone culture made by Quebecois artists for a Quebecois audience. Quebeckers seeking a cultural handhold find only the labour market.”

I’m saying “Quebec has a future and we want to actively shape it instead of being subsumed by the USA's cultural trajectory.”

I don't trust the current government, or any of the other parties contending for the next gov't, to shape Quebec into something non-racist. But if the revolutionary spirit of Quebec, its working-class history, its multicultural history, is stamped out by American reactionary politics, then the Quebec of 30 or 50 or 100 years from now is going to be so much worse.

Quebecers could soon see more homegrown content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

The provincial government announced that it plans to introduce a new bill within the next year to force online streaming giants to add more made-in-Quebec media on their platforms. It was one of nine measures unveiled on Sunday under the province's plan to spend $603 million over five years(opens in a new tab) to protect the French language in Quebec.

Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe did not provide specifics of what would be inside the bill. [...]

The new funding will be aimed at nine priorities outlined by the government to boost the status of French. More than half of the money — $320 million — will be earmarked for ensuring temporary international workers speak and learn French. After immigration, culture is poised to get the second-largest chunk of the funding, at $187.3 million. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @vague-humanoid

[xdivinedecay]

Patron saints for US election aftermath

Below are some saints I humbly recommend to pray to as the United States faces this new and challenging era after the results of our recent election. Those that use prayer for intercession may find comfort in learning more about the saints below, and building a communication with them.

Social justice — St. Martín de Porres Poverty — St. Francis of Assisi Women — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Immigrants — St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Racial justice — St. Katharine Drexel Ecology and environment — St. Kateri Tekakwitha (the first Indigenous American saint) Education/teachers — St. John Baptist de La Salle

If you'd like, I have included some notes and extras below —

Please if you can, take some time to learn about St. Martín de Porres! His soul is beautiful and his work was absolutely selfless as he cared for others in the face of social abuse and adversity. He really is someone to aspire to be like.

I nominate St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in this particular instance as it's difficult to pin down a definitive patron saint of women (all of my cross-references didn't produce a strong label on any one saint; many were for mothers or some other aspect attributed to womanhood, so there are many options). But St. Elizabeth was the first American-born citizen to be canonized as a saint, and in her life she started a Catholic school for girls. She is most known for founding of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph’s, the first religious order in America who contributed significant humanitarian work. In the wake of the US election results, I think she is an apt choice for connecting with for intercession.

I'm a biased St. Joan D'Arc follower, but hear me out. She was the crux of saving her home country from the very literal brink of being lost to Britain in a war that spanned a century. She rallied the last skeleton crew of the remaining French monarchal power that had all but been defeated already, and helped to take their name and land back from the English. I will be continuing to pray to her regularly to help find ways to fight for our freedom and remain courageous. I encourage others to do the same if you pray to her, or would like to start.

While I wish I had a suggestion for a saint to pray to for the LGBTQIA+ community, as they are adopted through history (St. Sebastian) or are not strictly official. But there are some interesting perspectives to find online, I just couldn't find a saint I could comfortably name with my whole chest for this particular group. I was intrigued by some responses on this Quora thread on the matter in question.

As always, these are only suggestions based on my imperfect research, as I am still newly navigating my reclaimed faith. If you have other patrons to recommend, please add them in a reblog so that others may learn about them.

divider made by animatedglittergraphics-n-more

more lists of patron saints — Patron Saints for your problems • Patron Saints for World Mental Health Day

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Kateri Tekawitha 1656-1680 Feast Day: July 14 Patroness: Ecologists, Native Americans

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, known as Lily of the Mohawks was an Algonquin–Mohawk virgin. Born in Auriesville (now part of New York), she was orphaned during a smallpox epidemic, which left her with a scarred face and impaired eyesight. In 1676 she was converted and baptized by Father Jacques de Lamberville, a Jesuit missionary. Shunned by her tribe for her faith, she escaped through 200 miles of wilderness to the Christian Native American village of Sault-Sainte-Marie. Kateri was known for her spirituality and austere lifestyle. Various miracles and supernatural events are attributed to her intercession.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

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[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

Do you have any images that portray St. Kateri more accurately?

I'm going to take this opportunity to respond to your earlier question re: diet as well. Kateri's avoidance of meat was not, in itself, a penitential practice, but it was intimately related to her celibacy, since in Haudenosaunee culture at that time access to venison had a lot to do with a man's, a husband's, role in the family structure. Without a husband Kateri would have had to scrounge for the results of the seasonal hunts rather than having implied access to them. The one time she went on one of the hunts herself, in the winter of 1677-8, was a traumatic experience for her (not for reasons related to hunting qua hunting; she was accused of sexual impropriety and it took weeks to clear her name).

Here's the only painting of her by someone who knew her in life, Father Claude Chauchetière SJ. Note that during her lifetime she would also have had a heavily scarred face from a childhood case of smallpox; this portrait represents her appearance in apparitions shortly after her death.

Note that she appears to have long, loose hair, but is covering it with a heavy blanket or mantle. The dress is also a bit more similar to conventional Euro womenswear than the "braids-and-buckskins" pan-Indian look she's conventionally depicted with today. This isn't necessarily due to European influence, although that is a possibility; Haudenosaunee women in this period seem to have dressed more or less like this in general.

[janusfranc15]

Interesting! The indigenous saints are especially so. I hadn’t known about them until now.

Saints and Ecological Spirituality

The following list consists of saints and other prominent Catholics who are associated with nature or herbalism on some level. May be expanded upon in the future.

St. Francis of Assisi, patron of animals and nature, known for his liturgical chant “Canticle of the Sun,” starting the Franciscan Order, and for utilizing nature in his preaching, Italy

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, patroness of ecology, known for her devout faith in Jesus; would make crosses through out the woods she walked in to remember to pray, Mohawk-Iroquois 

Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk, catechist and preacher, associated with indigenous Catholic worship and decolonization, Oglala Lakota

St. Fiacre, patron of gardening, a monk sought after by his community for his skills with herbs and healing, Ireland

St. Hildegard of Bingen, Benedictine nun and mystic, prolific writer of many subjects including herbal medicine and sought after for political advice, Germany

Servant of God Dorothy Day, activist and humanitarian, known for jump-starting Catholic social justice activism for many concerns including ecology, United States

St. Bibiana, virgin martyr who was persecuted along with her family during the Early Church, her grave was said to miraculously spring up herbs that cured ailments like hangovers and headaches, Rome

St. Martin de Porres, the first Black Dominican member originally apprenticed under a barber, and as a result also learned how to use healing herbs. He left the trade to become a monk and used his healing training to help the poor and service his brothers, Peru

[nobodysdaydreams]

In Honor of All Saints Day, Here's Some Random Assumptions About My Followers Based on Their Favorite Saints 😇

Please note this is a merely for fun and not meant to offend anyone, please be kind, thank you. Also, I obviously can't possibly include every saint here, so I'm just gonna stick to some of the ones I think are most likely to be favorites of my followers.

Saint Joan of Arc- I'll start with arguably the most popular one, or at least the one I see posted or discussed online the most. If your favorite saint is St. Joan of Arc, there's a good chance you're an atheist who doesn't vibe with saints in general, but likes her because she's a girl with a sword and that's objectively awesome. You're correct for that, and welcome to the post. Another option is that you're a girl who was labeled a "tomboy" growing up.

Saint Paul- if your favorite saint is St. Paul, you have a blog or a significant portion of your blog dedicated to one ex-villain character whose redemption arc you could rewatch on loop for hours. You also might be Protestant, and yes, this particular St. Paul is the same Paul from the Bible. Welcome to the post. ✝️

Saint Olga- if your favorite saint is St. Olga, you support women's rights, but more importantly, you forgive women's wrongs. There have been several times when you've gotten upset about people questioning the validity of a female character's redemption considering her past when they overlook and forgive way worse done by male characters. There's also a chance you might be Orthodox. Welcome to the post. ☦️

Saint Nicholas- if your favorite saint is St. Nicholas, there is a chance you followed me for TMBS content. Your favorite holiday is Christmas, and you're still hyperfixated on the same book series or television show from your childhood. You're also extremely passionate about your fandoms and can't stand it when people grossly misinterpret characters or things in canon.

Saint Benedict- if your favorite saint is St. Benedict, you also probably followed me for TMBS content. You're also a very humble and unproblematic person but the haters are bitter and always trying to bring you down (via their jealousy and also poison, but you can't be stopped).

Saint Scholastica- if your favorite saint is St. Scholastica, you also might have followed me for TMBS content because you know that she's Benedict's twin sister. You also wish that God would summon storms for you whenever you find your brother annoying.

The Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus- if you picked the Virgin Mary, you're neurodivergent, specifically the type of neurodivergent who loved those card games where characters had different levels of power. You take a similar approach to picking your favorite saint, so why wouldn't you go straight for the one that is objectively the most powerful and the best one? It just makes to most sense to you, and the thing is, you're right. You're 100% right. Congrats!

Saint Cecilia- if your favorite saint is St. Cecilia, you're a musician and were in choir either at school or church. You also probably are/were a theater kid.

Saint Lawrence- if your favorite saint is St. Lawrence, you were definitely a theater kid and tried stand up comedy at least once. You also use jokes and humor to cope with stressful situations.

Saint Josephine Bakhita- if your favorite saint is St. Josephine, you are one of those people who somehow remains positive and sees the sliver lining in literally any circumstance. Don't get me wrong, I love that for you, but please take care of yourself. 🫂❤️‍🩹

Saint Dymphna- if your favorite saint is St. Dymphna, you are neurodivergent, have struggled with mental illness, work in psychiatric or medical care, or you’ve dealt with a lot in your life, and I hope you heal. 🫂❤️‍🩹

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha- if your favorite saint is Saint Kateri, you're sick of your relatives pressuring you to date someone, and you're extremely worried about climate change (girl, me too).

Saint Anthony- if your favorite saint is St. Anthony, you have ADHD and lose things multiple times a week. On the off chance you followed me for Wolf359 content, you identified way too strongly with Doug Eiffel.

Saint Peter- if your favorite saint is saint Peter, you either watch "The Chosen" or you have ADHD and felt seen when you read about him in the Bible. That man boldly declared he would never deny Jesus and when told he would do it before a rooster crowed three times, to which he confidently replied "nah" and then immediately got distracted and preoccupied with cutting some guy's ear off and forgot all about the oddly specific terrible thing he was prophesied to do just a few hours earlier by a man he believed to be God incarnate. As someone who also breaks down in tears when I suddenly remember the important things I forget to keep track of, I sympathize with his story. Saint Dymphna is patroness of most mental illness and ADHD is technically covered by her, but if we ever get an ADHD specific saint, I know it has to be either be Peter or Anthony, and if it were entirely up to me, I'd give it to Peter. Don't get me wrong, Saint Anthony is there for us, but Saint Peter is one of us, you know what I mean? Though I feel like due to the problematic nature of diagnosing the deceased (no matter how evident symptoms might be) it would end up going to Anthony, since we do call on him often, and I think Peter would be fine with that.

Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang- if your favorite saint is St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, you or someone you know is probably in recovery from addiction, and I wish you well on your journey. You also empathize way too much with any character who suffers from addiction and if you followed me for Wolf359, that was the aspect of Doug Eiffel's character that stood out to you the most. 🫂❤️‍🩹

Saint Catherine of Siena- if your favorite saint is Saint Catherine of Siena, you've probably written a book or fanfic well over 100k words. (Yes, I know, you don't have to say it).

Saint Francis of Assisi- if your favorite saint is Saint Francis of Assisi, you either have pets or want them, and if you do have them, you've taken them or begged your parents to let you take them to a St. Francis feast day pet blessing. If you followed me for TMBS, SQ is probably your favorite character, and if you followed me for Wolf359 content, you were inconsolable when Blessie died. You're also probably the kind of neurodivergent who takes things like "if you want to follow God, sell all you have and give it to the poor" literally and as a result, this has caused conflict with your family (specifically on account of you giving all the money made from your family business to the poor).

Saint Joseph- I doubt I have a lot of followers who are parents because of how tumblr demographics skew, but if your favorite saint is Saint Joseph, you just became a dad or really want to become one someday.

Saint Monica- again, I doubt this is the case because of the age of tumblr demographics, but if your favorite saint is Saint Monica, you're a mom who really needs a break, and I hope your husband and sons get it together soon. 🫂❤️‍🩹

Saint Augustine- if your favorite saint is St. Augustine, you also like redemption arcs and likely went through a "party phase" at some point in your life that you regret and identify a bit too strongly with the younger brother in the prodigal son parable. However, in this case, you likely also love St. Monica and if you followed me for Star Wars content, you are particularly upset that we didn't get to see more interactions between Leia Organa and her son Benny Solo especially considering they led a whole war against each other the year between TLJ and TROS (dead horse, I know).

Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin- if your favorite saint is St. Juan Diego, you have or grew up with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe somewhere in your house. You've also been in the incredibly specific situation of seeing or doing something super cool, but not having anyone believe you (but the satisfying payoff when they find out you were right).

Saint Mary Magdalene- if your favorite saint is St. Mary Magdalene, you either watch "The Chosen" or you're a woman who's faith pulled her out of a very difficult time in her life, and like St. Juan Diego, you also know what it's like to be proven right after a group of men call you a liar.

Saints Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin (Zélie)- if these are your favorite saints, you understand why you can't just pick one. This power couple comes in a set. If you picked these two, you heard about them because your favorite saint might actually be or have been their very famous daughter St. Thérèse of Lisieux. And if you're a guy and you picked these two, you're also a proud girl dad and can't stop bragging to everyone you meet about how successful your wife's business is (especially because she's so humble about it). Green flags all around.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe- if St. Maximilian is your favorite saint, you're a history guy or gal who is obsessed with world war two, but in a good way. In the "this was very not cool. Let's never forget so we never do this again" way. You also love stories of heroic sacrifice and aspire to always do the right thing even when it’s not socially popular or doesn’t benefit you.

(Soon to be canonized) Saint Carlo Acutis- You're a millennial or gen z who loves researching and talking about modern saints. You aspire to be like them and have a list of ones you want canonized (mine are Servant of God Dorothy Day and Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel. They lived in the 20th Century and when you're dealing with 2,000 years of history, that's pretty modern).

I'm sure I'll think of more to add after I post this, but I'll leave it here for now. I hope y'all enjoy this!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 14)

On July 14, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized.

Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks," Kateri lived a life of holiness and virtue, despite obstacles and opposition within her tribe.

Kateri was born in 1656 to a Christian Algonquin woman and a pagan Mohawk chief in Auriesville, New York.

When she was a child, a smallpox epidemic attacked her tribe and both her parents died. She was left with permanent scars on her face and impaired eyesight.

Her uncle, who had now become chief of the tribe, adopted her. Her aunts began planning her marriage while she was still very young.

In 1667, when three Jesuit fathers were visiting the tribe and staying in the tent of her uncle, they spoke to her of Christ.

Though she did not ask to be baptized, she believed in Jesus with an incredible intensity.

She also realized that she was called into an intimate union with God as a consecrated virgin.

Kateri had to struggle to maintain her faith amidst the opposition of her tribe who ridiculed her for it and ostracized her for refusing the marriage that had been planned for her.

When she was 18, Fr. Jacques de Lamberville returned to the Mohawk village, and she asked to be baptized.

The life of the Mohawk village had become violent and debauchery was commonplace.

Realizing that this was proving too dangerous to her life and her call to perpetual virginity, Kateri escaped to the town of Caughnawaga in Quebec, near Montreal, where she grew in holiness and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Kateri lived out the last years of her short life here, practicing austere penance and constant prayer.

She was said to have reached the highest levels of mystical union with God. Many miracles were attributed to her while she was still alive.

She died on 17 April 1680 at the age of 24.

Witnesses reported that within minutes of her death, the scars from smallpox completely vanished and her face shone with radiant beauty.

Devotion to Kateri began immediately after her death. Her body, enshrined in Caughnawaga, is visited by many pilgrims each year.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 June 1980. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012.