Collections of SaintsA Mohawk woman with Algonquin family heritage. From the Mohawk River valley to a community near Montréal, her life brought together prayer and care for others.
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Kateri was born around 1656 in what is now New York State. Her father was Mohawk and her mother an Algonquin Christian. This family story brings together different languages, cultures and beliefs. She is remembered as a person rooted in local identity, rather than someone to detach from her Indigenous community.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeRead in context ↓A smallpox epidemic during her childhood took her parents and younger brother. Kateri survived with scarring and impaired vision and was raised by relatives. Loss provides context for her life without defining her entire identity: she continued learning, working, forming relationships and making personal choices.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeRead in context ↓Kateri received baptism at Easter in 1676. Church accounts remember tensions surrounding her choice. Relationships among family, customs and religion in the colonial period were complex. This story therefore does not portray all Mohawk people as opponents, but focuses on a woman’s decision within difficult circumstances.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeRead in context ↓She moved to a Mohawk community at a Jesuit mission near Montréal. There prayer accompanied work and care for sick and elderly people. Kateri also helped children learn to pray. Her life shows service close to home: being present to neighbours and fulfilling everyday responsibilities, as well as more visible acts.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeRead in context ↓Kateri died on 17 April 1680, aged about 24. Veneration continued far beyond her original community. Benedict XVI canonized her on 21 October 2012. She became the first Indigenous North American woman canonized by the Catholic Church, a description of a formal Church act rather than a ranking of human dignity.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanadian Conference of Catholic BishopsRead in context ↓
The church at Kahnawà:ke housing Kateri’s shrine. The capture date is unrecorded; the date below is the source upload date.
Nastya777 · CC0 · Photo source · Uploaded 17 August 2013 · Resized and converted to WebP. The source license continues to apply.Kateri’s tomb can now be visited at Saint Francis Xavier Mission in Kahnawà:ke, Québec. This national shrine stands on Mohawk territory. The visible complex dates from after Kateri’s life. Exploring it introduces Catholic heritage, community history and the continuing presence of Indigenous people along the Saint Lawrence River.
Canada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineKahnawà:ke TourismRead in context ↓Kateri was born around 1656 in what is now New York State. Her father was Mohawk and her mother an Algonquin Christian. This family story brings together different languages, cultures and beliefs. She is remembered as a person rooted in local identity, rather than someone to detach from her Indigenous community.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeA smallpox epidemic during her childhood took her parents and younger brother. Kateri survived with scarring and impaired vision and was raised by relatives. Loss provides context for her life without defining her entire identity: she continued learning, working, forming relationships and making personal choices.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeKateri received baptism at Easter in 1676. Church accounts remember tensions surrounding her choice. Relationships among family, customs and religion in the colonial period were complex. This story therefore does not portray all Mohawk people as opponents, but focuses on a woman’s decision within difficult circumstances.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeShe moved to a Mohawk community at a Jesuit mission near Montréal. There prayer accompanied work and care for sick and elderly people. Kateri also helped children learn to pray. Her life shows service close to home: being present to neighbours and fulfilling everyday responsibilities, as well as more visible acts.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeKateri died on 17 April 1680, aged about 24. Veneration continued far beyond her original community. Benedict XVI canonized her on 21 October 2012. She became the first Indigenous North American woman canonized by the Catholic Church, a description of a formal Church act rather than a ranking of human dignity.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanadian Conference of Catholic BishopsKateri’s tomb can now be visited at Saint Francis Xavier Mission in Kahnawà:ke, Québec. This national shrine stands on Mohawk territory. The visible complex dates from after Kateri’s life. Exploring it introduces Catholic heritage, community history and the continuing presence of Indigenous people along the Saint Lawrence River.
Canada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineKahnawà:ke TourismHow can you honour someone’s identity while learning about their beliefs? Begin by listening to their name, family story, and understanding of their own community.
Born around 1656 in the Mohawk River valley.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsPope Francis / Holy SeeAround age four: survived smallpox and lost close family members.
Pope Francis / Holy SeeEaster: received baptism.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsMoved to a mission community near Montréal.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsChristmas: received first Communion.
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops25 March: made a personal vow of chastity.
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops17 April: died aged about 24.
Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsThe mission at the present Kahnawà:ke location began taking shape in 1716–1718.
Canada National Saint Kateri ShrineThe present Saint Francis Xavier church dates to 1845.
Canada National Saint Kateri ShrineBeatified by John Paul II.
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops21 October: canonized by Benedict XVI.
Canada National Saint Kateri ShrineCanada National Saint Kateri ShrineMuch testimony about Kateri survives through missionary records; Indigenous experiences cannot be reduced to that perspective alone. Mission names and locations changed over time. The present church at Kahnawà:ke was built after her lifetime, rather than being the building she attended in the 1670s. Miracle narratives are devotional testimony.
The church at Kahnawà:ke housing Kateri’s shrine. The capture date is unrecorded; the date below is the source upload date.
Nastya777 · CC0 · Photo source · Uploaded 17 August 2013 · Resized and converted to WebP. The source license continues to apply.The national shrine on Mohawk territory in Kahnawà:ke. Its custodian welcomes visitors to Kateri’s tomb at Saint Francis Xavier Church; the present church postdates her life.
Sources checked: 4 October 2026
View placeSources checked: 4 October 2026
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