Saint Kateri Tekakwitha: Courageous Faith

by: Barbara Kiwak
from Encountering the Saints Series

Perfect for ages 8 – 12, this 31st volume in the Encounter the Saints series captures the burning desire of Kateri Tekakwitha to become a Catholic amidst the difficult circumstances of her time: colonialism-induced disease and preexisting tribal tensions intensified by the arrival of Christian missionaries.

When Kateri is only a few years old, smallpox sweeps through her village, killing her Mohawk father and Algonquin mother, who is a secretly practicing Catholic. From this point on, Kateri longs for her mother's Catholic faith but her Mohawk uncle with whom she is sent to live despises the Christians. With the arrival of the Jesuit missionaries, Kateri's longing to become a Catholic intensifies while her uncle becomes more enraged.

Desiring to be both a loyal daughter figure and a child of God, Kateri continues to fulfill her household responsibilities and receives the sacrament of baptism despite her uncle's disapproval. With this initiation, she becomes the target of harsh bullying. But she does not let these hardships deter her faith in God. She courageously escapes from her village to live a Christian life at Mission du Sault.

In this biography, adapted from a book by Lillian Fisher, children will learn that courage coupled with a faith conviction can help them overcome being shunned and bullied.

Features & Benefits:
- Coincides with Kateri's recent canonization
- Encourages historical and multicultural awareness
- An Epilogue references Kateri's beatification, canonization as the first Native American, and shrine locations
- Includes black and white illustrations by Barbara Kiwak

ages 8 – 12

Paperback
128 pages
ISBN: 9780819872500