ranciscans find themselves in unusual ministries; few friars join the Order expecting to be custodians of a shrine dedicated to the memory of a Mohawk virgin who today stands on the brink of becoming declared a Saint of the Church. The memory and heritage of Kateri Tekakwitha is the ministry of Friars Kevin Kenny and James Amrhein. Her story and their work are unusual, even for Franciscans.
Before the coming of colonists to North America the entire continent was peopled by Native people who had arrived many centuries before Christopher Columbus and his followers. They had different languages, traditions, cultures and indeed life-styles. Those who peopled the Northeast sector of the continent lived a semi-nomadic life, as hunter-gatherers and basic agriculturists that moved around a great deal. Among those peoples were the Mohawks who frequented the Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York.
The daughter born to the Mohawk Chief and his Christian Algonquin wife in 1656 was named IORA’GODE – i.e. – SUNSHINE – because of her pleasant and cheerful disposition. And so she remained until a smallpox epidemic in 1600 caused the death of her parents and younger brother.
Iora’gode survived, but was left half-blind and with a heavily pock-marked face. She was adopted by the new village chief – her uncle and her two aunts. It was her uncle who, when seeing stumbling around half-blind through the smoke-filled longhouse with her arms outstretched, named her TEKAKWITHA – i.e. – she-who-pushes-with-her-hands. In the Mohawk language TEKAKWITHA also has a special meaning. It signifies an ideal woman, one who works hard and keeps everything in good order; a prudent, industrious, provident, loving person. Unknowingly her uncle had given her the name which totally described the young girl he had adopted.
Re-settling in the new, fortified village of GANDAOUAGA, Tekakwitha spent the next eleven years (1666 – 1677) growing from a young girl into a Mohawk maiden. When French Jesuits arrived at GANDAOUAGA and established the small bark chapel of St. Peter’s, Tekakwaitha became one of the converts, being baptized there on Easter Sunday, April 18,1676, receiving the name Catherine ( Kateri, or Gaderi in the Iroguois language). Being persecuted by her adoptive family, Kateri in 1677 was among a number of villagers who migrated North to Montreal to the settlement called Kahnawake, ‘The Village of the Praying Indians” and it was there that she took a vow of chastity and virginity. She was known to natives and Canadiens as well, renowned for her piety and exemplary life. Following her death in 1680 two of the Jesuit missionaries wrote biographies of ‘The Lilly of the Mohawks’ and numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession especially by the ‘Habitants’ the French Canadians who lived in the Montreal area.
In 1693 a war party of French soldiers and Canadian Indians invaded the Mohawk Valley and on Feb. 17th burned to the ground Kateri’s village of GANDAOUAGA, presumably removing forever any historical evidence of her dwelling place.
Over the next two hundred fifty years the warriors trail west was expanded to include a highway, the Erie Canal, and a railroad. The pristine forest was replaced by farms, industry, villages, and cities. By the 1930’s all that remained of any presence of the once mighty Iroquois, were the records of the “Jesuit Relations” and the passed down stories of what had been. This was enough for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany to ask the Conventual Franciscan Friars to purchase and develop the old Vedder farm west of Fonda, which might possibly encompass the sight of a former Mohawk village.
The Order accepted the ministry and sent Friar Thomas Grassmann to tackle the challenge of discovering corroborating evidence. Arriving at Fonda on January 26, 1938 Thomas literally rolled up his sleeves, and by Sept. 11th had settled into the Friary, transformed a 200 year old barn into St. Peter’s Chapel, and on the old sand flats above the farm erected a stone monument to the memory of Kateri. Then began Friar Thomas’ years of search and discovery.
In spite of the fact that various teams of archeologists had attempted to get a fix on the site of the fabled Indian fort, they had been unable to establish the exact location. Their lack of success was the spur which drove Friar Thomas in his determination to succeed where others had failed.
In the act of burning GANDAOUAGA to the ground, the underground burned remains of the entire double lines of the stockade posts became “frozen” in the ground. During archeological excavations in the summer of 1950 these “frozen” remains were unearthed, with the remains of the village longhouses becoming unearthed in the following years. Almost miraculously, the village began only 75 ft. behind the monument Friar Thomas dedicated to Kateri in 1938. Research also found the spring from which the village received its water supply – which also provided the water with which Kateri was baptized. To this day, this is the ONLY fully archeologically excavated Iroquois village in the world.
Archeology was not the sole interest of Friar Thomas. He was a fervent promoter of the cult of ‘The Lilly of the Mohawks’ and Kateri was never far from his heart. He remodeled the old barn and turned it into a museum honoring Amerindian culture, and on the second floor constructed a most unique chapel in her honor. He traveled internationally promoting her cause, advocating for the remarkable spirit and virtues of the young woman who had come to the Christian faith on this site. He worked tirelessly for her official recognition by the Universal Church, but this goal was still far off when he died in 1970.
Over the past 70 years Friar Thomas and the Franciscan Friars who followed him have developed the Chapel, Museum, shrine area, village and spring site of the village where, since 1980, Blessed Kateri – “The Lily of the Mohawks” is venerated.
From May through October gatherings of descendents of her Mohawk father celebrate the culture of her native American roots, while Christian descendents of her mother come to celebrate and seek intercession of one who walked gently and half-blind on these fields and now sees clearly the glory of God.
It was through the efforts of the Diocese that the friars came to this site seventy years ago:
"In this day and age, when the pleasure-principle so dominates our society, and when people expend all kinds of time, effort and energy to remove the Cross from Christianity and to escape the sometimes harsh realities and responsibilities of mature Christian living, Kateri Tekakwitha stands as an heroic example of how to integrate the mystery of the Cross with the mystery of the Resurrection in a way that gives honor and glory to God and that ensures loving service to His people."
-Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard, DD, Bishop of Albany, N.Y.
Within each of us is the potential to be a light focusing attention on God's presence in our world. Clare of Assisi's life reveals just how much light she shed.
As a friend and as cofounder of the Franciscan movement, she supported Francis as he discerned God's message for himself and his followers. Together with her sisters, she wrote the first Rule written for religious women by a woman. She modeled the ability for the authority or power of a group to be held by the entire group (collegiality).
Recently, the Franciscan family throughout the world celebrates the 750th anniversary of Clare's death in August 1253. Her life continues to speak to all of us. She challenges us to incorporate simplicity, singleness of purpose and unity within families and communities into the complexity of our 21st-century lives.
Sister Claire André Gagliardi, O.S.C. from the Poor Clare Community in Chesterfield, New Jersey shares with us her insights into the Franciscan Values of Saint Clare.
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"Being a Poor Clare Today"
For the week of August 3:
Help to make America more beautiful: “Do you snack on cookies? Drink juice pouches? Eat energy bars? Did you know that every year BILLIONS of drink pouches and food wrappers end up in dumpsters and landfills across America? Well, TerraCycle has teamed up with Clif Bar, Oreos, Capri Sun and others to reduce the amount of packaging going into our landfills. They will donate two cents to charity for every used wrapper collected by individuals and organizations. The collected waste will be fused and woven into a strong material, which will then be used to make backpacks, gym totes and other products. Anyone can help (that means YOU)—visit www.terracycle.net/brigades to sign up and make America more beautiful.