Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha to be canonized
December 19, 2011
The Vatican has cleared the way for the canonization of 7 new saints, including Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
On December 19, Pope Benedict XVI approved a series of decrees by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, advancing a number of candidates toward canonization or beatification
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), the "Lilly of the Mohawks," was born in upstate New York and lived both there and in Canada. Baptized by Jesuit missionaries on Easter Sunday in 1676, she died in Quebec 4 years later. Her reputation for sanctity spread quickly, and in 1980 she was beatified by Pope John Paul II. She was the first Native American to be beatified, and will be the first canonized.
