Sunday marked an historic moment for followers of the Catholic Faith -- Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized as a saint Sunday, making her the first North American aboriginal ever to receive the honour.
Winnipeggers gathered Sunday at a church bearing her name, The Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, to mark the occasion.
“From our people, nine people have gone to witness the canonization,” said Rev. Sebastian Susairaj of the church.
Those nine joined about 80,000 people who visited the Vatican to see her and seven other canonized Sunday by Pope Benedict the 16th.
Tekakwitha was born in New York in 1656, and has long been known in the aboriginal community as Lily of the Mohawks and the Mohawk Maiden.
For those who couldn’t make the trip, the parish in Winnipeg held a special celebration to mark the honour.
The ceremony included the revelation of a relic – a fragment of Tekakwitha’s bone – to parishioners.
Tekakwitha spent 24 years devoted to her religion, and died in 1680 near Montreal. Tekakwitha is credited with live-saving miracles.
Two-hundred years later, the church began investigating the possibility of sainthood for Tekakwitha.
“It takes a huge step investigating the life and how she lived and her faith,” said Sebastian.
The church and the aboriginal community hope the canonization will help them move past their troubled history.
“We all look for reconciliation and healing in the community between the church and the government and the community,” said Susairaj.
Parishioner Joe Malcolm said the move is a positive step for the community. “The community as a whole has to start working together -- with our youth, our elders -- unite everyone,” said Malcolm.
While they’ve always considered her one, the church will officially add Saint to the name of their church next Sunday. The occasional will be marked with a ceremony.
